Karnes County, TX Courthouse

The Karnes County Courthouse was built in 1894. In the 1920s, two buildings were added to the main structure. These buildings weren’t added correctly and as of February 2007, they are pulling the original building apart.

>> Courthouse restoration project to be bid out in October

The courthouse was constructed in a two-block pattern that is common to many county seats in Texas. The Courthouse Square in Texas by Robert E. Veselka has this to say about the Karnes County courthouse square:

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Table II. Two-Block and Four-Block Patterns – Karnes City*/Karnes Related two-block: additional buildings
* Confirmed by site visit

The two-block and four-block patterns share features with the Shelbyville square, but more than a single block is reserved for the courthouse.

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Figure 86. Partial plan of Centerville in Leon County. The simple grid and square characteristic of the Shelbyville block pattern are typical of many predominant courthouse squares.
Source: Texas State Archives Map #2221-37.

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Table 20. Predominant Courthouse Squares by Block Patter – Two-blocks or Related Patterns: 10 of 92 (11.0%) – Karnes City***/Karnes
*** Both incomplete development and additional buildings.

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In some cases, the courthouse square has become a complex of government buildings. The county seats of Alpine, Angleton, Eldorado, Floresville, Fredericksburg, Karnes City, Menard, and Victoria fit this description.

Bibliography
Veselka, Robert E. The Courthouse Square in Texas. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2000.

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