The most recognizable building in Fayette County is undoubtedly the Fayette County Courthouse located in the county seat of La Grange. The stately temple of justice was designed by 27 year old James Riley Gordon of San Antonio and constructed in 1891 at the cost of $99,407.04. The architectural structure of the courthouse is Romanesque Revival style, which was popular during the mid to late 1800s. Both the casual tourist and busy local are often surprised by the natural light of the atrium that falls upon them as they enter through the large wooden door. Taking a stroll down the hallways and into the courtroom, many visitors are quickly engrossed by the various designs – the hand-carved wooden staircases, solid marble flooring, ornate ceiling tile, thick green foliage in the atrium, not to mention a courtroom in which you would expect to find Atticus Finch pacing the floor. It can be quickly overlooked that the building is not a preserved museum, but indeed a working courthouse – bustling with customers conducting their business. But some claim that the sounds of our working courthouse do not end when the doors are closed at five o’clock.
