Old Red Courthouse, Dallas

Old Red Courthouse is one of downtown Dallas’s strongest reminders of the city’s 19th-century civic past. Completed in 1892, it replaced an earlier courthouse that burned in 1890 and served as the fifth seat of Dallas County government.

Designed by architect M. A. Orlopp in the Romanesque Revival style, Old Red is built from Pecos red sandstone with a contrasting base and trim of blue granite. Its heavy rounded arches, massive stonework, and eight circular turrets give it a fortress-like character, softened by decorative roof details often described as gargoyle-like figures. A clock tower once rose above the building, complete with a 4,500-pound bell, but it was removed in 1919 because of structural concerns. The tower was later reconstructed during restoration work, helping return the building closer to its original profile.

For many years, the courthouse housed the Old Red Museum of Dallas County History and Culture, where exhibits covered the city’s political, social, and cultural development. In 2024 the building returned to judicial use, with the Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals moving into Old Red. Even viewed from the outside, Old Red is worth a stop. Its red stone walls, restored tower, turrets, and arched windows stand in sharp contrast to the modern buildings around it.