Four Limestone Eagles Guard the Courthouse Doors

The courthouse starts with stone that did not travel far. Its native limestone came from a quarry about six miles west of Comanche. A carved limestone eagle rests over each of the four entrances. Walking the block turns one ornament into a pattern: four doors, four birds, one square. The broad walls stay spare, so the birds stand out without needing a tower or a grand porch.

Architect Wyatt Hedrick set a tall center between lower stepped blocks and terraced flat roofs. The Works Progress Administration built the courthouse. Art Moderne lines keep the mass broad and orderly. Art Deco details give the stone something finer to do than form walls.

Much of the historic material remains, so preservation work centers on repair and refinishing. Later partitions come out, and missing light fixtures are matched to the ones that survived. New heating, power, and plumbing systems go behind the old surfaces. The plans also bring the building up to Texas Accessibility Standards. That leaves Hedrick's limestone composition in public service, with the four eagles still keeping watch above the doors.