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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 430
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Comal County are gathering in |
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New Braunfels on January 22, 2013, to celebrate the rededication |
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of their historic and newly renovated courthouse; and |
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WHEREAS, The county's original courthouse was built in |
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1860, but it had fallen into disrepair by 1897, when the county |
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commission hired James Riely Gordon to design a new one; a |
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celebrated architect of many Texas public buildings, Mr. Gordon |
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crafted a courthouse in the Romanesque style with rounded |
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pavilion entrances at the four corners as well as a central |
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atrium for ventilation during the Texas 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 |
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history of Comal County, a dance card, and beer bottle labels |
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from the city brewery; constructed of locally quarried |
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limestone, the courthouse was dedicated on January 22, 1899, with |
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a ceremony featuring performances by Schulz's Orchestra and the |
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New Braunfels Men's Singing Society; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1931, a three-story jail and an extension of |
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the district courtroom designed by local architect Jeremiah |
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Schmidt were attached to the building, and in 1951, Mr. Schmidt |
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designed a further addition, a vault for the county clerk's |
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records; the courthouse was remodeled and rewired in 1966, when |
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air-conditioning and an elevator were installed, and there were |
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further renovations 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 the |
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Texas Historical Commission and RBR Construction, worked for the |
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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 |
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notice of the rebirth of this splendid building; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd |
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Legislature, hereby commemorate the restoration and rededication |
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of the Comal County Courthouse and commend all those involved in |
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the project for their skill, commitment, and hard work; and, be |
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it 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 |
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high regard by the Texas Senate. |
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Campbell |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on March 11, 2013. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |