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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Comal County are gathering in New |
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Braunfels on January 22, 2013, to celebrate the rededication of |
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their historic and newly renovated courthouse; and |
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WHEREAS, The county's original courthouse was built in 1860, |
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but it had fallen into disrepair by 1897, when the county commission |
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hired James Riely Gordon to design a new one; a celebrated architect |
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of many Texas public buildings, Mr. Gordon crafted a courthouse in |
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the Romanesque style with rounded pavilion entrances at the four |
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corners as well as a central atrium for ventilation during the Texas |
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summers; and |
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WHEREAS, The cornerstone was laid in May 1898 containing, |
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among many other items, a copy of a Galveston newspaper, a history |
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of Comal County, a dance card, and beer bottle labels from the city |
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brewery; constructed of locally quarried limestone, the courthouse |
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was dedicated on January 22, 1899, with a ceremony featuring |
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performances by Schulz's Orchestra and the New Braunfels Men's |
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Singing Society; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1931, a three-story jail and an extension of the |
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district courtroom designed by local architect Jeremiah Schmidt |
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were attached to the building, and in 1951, Mr. Schmidt designed a |
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further addition, a vault for the county clerk's records; the |
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courthouse was remodeled and rewired in 1966, when air-conditioning |
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and an elevator were installed, and there were further renovations |
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in 1987; and |
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WHEREAS, Under the leadership of the Comal County |
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Commissioners Court, the current $8.6 million restoration project |
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began in the summer of 2011, when the 1931 and 1951 additions were |
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removed; the project's architects, Volz & Associates, along with |
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the Texas Historical Commission and RBR Construction, worked for |
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the next year and a half to restore the courthouse to its original |
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appearance while modernizing its electrical, communications, |
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plumbing, and air-conditioning systems; and |
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WHEREAS, Some original fixtures were returned to the |
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building, including an arch-top entrance window that had been |
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hanging in a local restaurant since 1977, as well as the original |
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judge's bench; 60 pieces of historic furniture were also returned |
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to the courthouse, and former fixtures that could not be located |
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were replicated, including a massive spiral staircase and 164 |
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theater-style seats for the commissioners courtroom and the |
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first-floor meeting room; and |
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WHEREAS, For more than a century, the Comal County Courthouse |
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has served not only as the seat of government, but as a record in |
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stone of the county's rich history and a monument to its people's |
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German heritage, and it is indeed a privilege to take special notice |
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of the rebirth of this splendid building; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the restoration and rededication of |
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the Comal County Courthouse and commend all those involved in the |
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project for their skill, commitment, and hard work; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the citizens of Comal County as an expression of high |
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regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |