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.
>> Read
an article about the plight
of the Karnes County Courthouse
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:
Page
46
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.
Page
153
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. |
|
Page 157
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.
 |
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.
|
Bibliography
Veselka,
Robert E. The Courthouse
Square in Texas. Austin, TX: University
of Texas Press, 2000. |
