Unrealized potential or decaying eyesore, the opinions on the 1914 Nueces County Courthouse in downtown Corpus Christi run the gamut. But back in 1914, the structure was an admired showpiece of the state’s architecture.
The new courthouse’s design was neoclassical, a popular look for courthouses around Texas. Designed by Harvey L. Page of Washington, D.C., and built by the Gordon-Kruger Construction Company, the new courthouse cost $250,000. The five-story structure was completed in early February 1915 and took less than a year to build. Four statues perched above the entrance of the courthouse, representing the four cardinal virtues of Justice, Prudence, Temperance and Fortitude. The jail occupied the fourth and fifth floors, with courtrooms and offices on the lower floors. There was an air space built in between the third and fourth floors to reduce noise.
“Modern architecture is seen to abound in the new courthouse; the massive structure is a credit to the hand of man; one is dazzled as he looks at the tall columns over the doorway,” wrote the Caller.