An Evening in Waxahachie

I found myself in Ennis for a birthday party yesterday and went on to Waxahachie to spend the evening walking around downtown. The Ellis County Courthouse has been on my radar for awhile, and I was over the moon to finally see it in person. Considered by many to be James Riely Gordon’s finest courthouse design, it surpassed all of my expectations. It is set on a relatively small square of land making it physically imposing in a way that is unrivaled by any of the other courthouses I’ve visited. Its plan is similar to Gordon’s other courthouses in Comal, Gonzales, Hopkins, Lee, and Wise counties, but this courthouse stands above the others as one of the most richly ornamented. It is surrounded by mature live oaks which shroud the lower levels of the courthouse and from which the central clock tower erupts as though it was itself part of the tree canopy. An absolutely enchanting courthouse surrounded by an equally lovely commercial district. I especially enjoyed seeing and photographing the Texas Theater with its marquee shining brilliantly.