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Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square

Coordinates: 33°12′54″N 97°7′58″W / 33.21500°N 97.13278°W / 33.21500; -97.13278
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Denton County Courthouse
Courthouse in 2005
Denton County Courthouse is located in Texas
Denton County Courthouse
Denton County Courthouse
Denton County Courthouse is located in the United States
Denton County Courthouse
Denton County Courthouse
Map
Interactive map showing the location for Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square
LocationPublic Sq.
Denton, Texas
Coordinates33°12′54″N 97°7′58″W / 33.21500°N 97.13278°W / 33.21500; -97.13278
Area0.2 acres (0.081 ha)
Built1895 (1895)
ArchitectWesley Clark Dodson
Architectural styleRomanesque
NRHP reference No.77001438[1]
TSAL No.220
RTHL No.1208
Significant dates
Added to NRHPDecember 20, 1977
Designated TSALMay 28, 1981
Designated RTHL1970

The Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square is the former courthouse of Denton County located in the county seat Denton, Texas. The Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square was constructed in 1896.[2] In addition to county offices, the "Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum" also calls it home. The courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[1]

The Courthouse is also the final resting place of John B. Denton, the county's and city's namesake.

In 1918, a monument to Confederate Soldiers was gifted to Denton by the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy[3] and placed on the grounds of the Courthouse-on-the-Square. The monument was titled "Our Confederate Soldiers" and contained separate drinking water fountains at the base, with one side etched "whites" and the other "colored."[4] The monument was removed on June 23, 2020, following decades of protest urging its removal,[5] with the Denton County Commissioners citing the safety of the artifact as the reason for it being removed.[5]

Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum

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The Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum is located at the Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square. The museum is one of three Denton County museums, which also include the Bayless-Selby House Museum, and the Denton County African American Museum - both of which are located offsite.

The Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum focuses on the history and culture of Denton County. Exhibits include African American and Hispanic heritage, farming, weapons, dolls, Southwest American Indian and Denton County pottery, furniture, and special collections of American pressed blue glass, thimbles, Pecan folk art and quilts.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ "Historic Courthouses in Texas". Texas Historical Commission. Archived from the original on June 2, 2008. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
  3. ^ "Confederate soldier statue removed from Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square". wfaa.com. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  4. ^ NBC5, Seth Voorhees. "Tests settle dispute over fountains on Denton's Confederate soldier monument". Denton Record-Chronicle. Retrieved July 5, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ a b "Man spent 20 years protesting Confederate monument, it's now being removed". June 23, 2020.
  6. ^ "Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum: Historic Exhibits and Special Collections". Archived from the original on May 27, 2007. Retrieved January 26, 2009.
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