In 1996, the newly renovated Hunt County Courthouse was rededicated. The Hunt County Historical Commission recreated the “living statuary” of 1929 dedication for sesquicentennial celebration
I recently made an interesting discovery that supported a couple of ideas I have held for sometime now. First, Hunt County is a fairly good-sized area. But most importantly, it is full of history. There are more than a few historical surprises around us that I know I never knew about. My revelation began when I received an inquiry from a historical architectural firm in Austin.
The woman wanted to know about the school in Fairlie that was designed by C. H. Leinbach. While I knew there was a school at Fairlie, I was completely unaware of its history. I drove up there to look around. The school is gone but as I went by the Baptist Church I spotted a couple going into the church. I stopped, introduced myself, and explained my mission. We had a delightful chat; I discovered that another architect, anonymous at present, designed the Baptist Church of Fairlie. Walking into the church, I realized it was a hexagon shape structure. They told me of someone who is still living and knows a lot about the Fairlie School.
Over the years, I have discovered many outstanding structures throughout the county. The Methodist Church at Lone Oak is a jewel in my opinion. The Clendinning House near Merit is a great example of Victorian architecture. Of course, Central Christian Church in Greenville is well known. But Victorian Architecture is not the only style with historical significance.
William R. Ragsdale designed the Hunt County Courthouse and the Greenville Municipal Building. But I suspect that few people know the Greenville Middle School was the work of the same architect who designed the replacement of the New London School in East Texas. His work is noted for safety.
Lindsey and Kilmer were noted architects in the early part of the 20th century. Much of their work can be seen throughout the county, including the first President’s Home on the TAMUC campus.
All of this leads up to an invitation I would like to make to my readers. The Hunt County Historical Commission is charged with historic preservation here in the county. We are probably best known for historical markers; but we need to be made of aware of these wonderful structures and events of the period from 1846 through World War II. After the Second World War, our local history has been fairly well documented.
The Commission is composed of mostly Greenville residents, but we need more of you out there in the rural areas and in Commerce, Lone Oak, Quinlan, Merit, Caddo Mills, and Wolfe City to join us. We meet the fourth Thursday in January, March, May, July, and September. In November we move our meeting back to the third Thursday. However, this month our meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 30. Our meetings are held at 7:00 P.M. at the Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum. So I hope to see several new faces then. There is no charge, it’s a really laid back group, and we all love history. And you don’t have to have been born here, or even raised here. After all, I’m from Jacksboro, three hours west of here on Highway 380.