It’s Not A Magic Kingdom. It’s Actually Donley County Courthouse.
Say what you want about Clarendon, but the town is fascinating. It was one of the first three settlements in the Texas panhandle. It was originally supposed to be a haven for those who valued their sobriety. The whole town moved because of the railroad.
They also happen to have the oldest functioning courthouse in the Texas panhandle, and it looks a lot like a full blown castle.
The Romanesque Castle Of The Texas Panhandle
The first time I saw the Donley County Courthouse, my jaw dropped. If it hadn't been for a friend and a historical marker, I never would have guessed that it was a courthouse.
The building resembles a castle. I would expect Dracula to be inside, not men and women doing the business of law.
The most fascinating part of the building is that none of the sides are the same. It's asymmetrical. The view is unique depending on where you stand.
It's honestly very impressive architecturally.
It Takes A Lot Of Work To Look This Good
Disaster almost struck in the 1930s. A tornado supposedly caused some damage to the courthouse, which resulted in the removal of a tower and the entire third floor.
I wasn't there in the 1930s, but that's how the story goes. Also, bats supposedly loved to set up shop in the courthouse attic.
That Dracula comment I made earlier makes a little more sense now, doesn't it?
Fortunately, work was done on the courthouse to remedy all of the problems it was facing. Then, there was an entire restoration project that was launched to bring back the famous courthouse's former glory.
The restoration was completed, and the county rededicated the building on July 4, 2003; according to the historical marker that sits out front.
The next time you pass through Clarendon and have a moment, take that moment to go check out the castle-courthouse of Donley County.