Old Red Museum of Dallas County History and Culture, Dallas, Texas
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See also: http://oldred.org/
“Old Red”, the Dallas County Court House, was built in 1892 in the “Richardsonian Romanesque” type of architecture of Red Sandstone from the area around Pecos, Texas and Blue Granite from Arkansas. Henry Hobson Richardson was the designer of many similar buildings. However, the architect of “Old Red” was Maximillian Anton Orlopp, Junior who attended the United States Naval Academy. He was in the Class of 1881 but apparently did not graduate from the Academy. His name shows up later as Lieutenant Junior Grade Max Orlopp, United States Navy, apparently having received his commission and serving briefly during the Spanish-American War . His career achievements, however, are more notable in the fields of architecture and engineering.
When completed, The Dallas County Courth House was the tallest building in the city (209 feet from street level to the top of the clock tower )and located at Main and Houston Streets, the crossroads of east-west and north-south routes through Dallas County. When the automobile came into being U.S. Highway 80, one of the main east-west interstate highway and others crossed by the court house.
Nowadays, the main routes are on the newer interstate highways and the court house is dwarfed by the surrounding skyscrapers but it still holds a commanding location on the entrance to Downtown Dallas.
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Over the years, the court house suffered many remodelings and changes.
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The clock and bell tower were removed in 1919 due to structural problems as shown in this earlier picture taken several years ago from the Reunion Tower.
The Grand Staircase was removed in 1927 to provide more office space. The George Allen, Jr. Court House was completed in 1963 and “Old Red” was mostly vacant and deserted by the 1990’s.
There had been several attempts to raze the old building and replace it with a new court house, but all failed, including a bond vote in the 1940’s.
In 2001, a major restoration program was begun and The Old Red Museum of Dallas County History and Culture opened on May 15, 2007. Mr. James Pratt was the chief architect in the restoration program.
The clock and bell tower , which were removed in 1919 due to structural problems, has been restored and was put back into operation on June 23, 2007. It now strikes the hours as it did between 1893 and 1919 and is built in the original design around a steel computer designed framework, designed to withstand the winds which led to its downfall in 1919.
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The Old Red Museum is located on the western end of the Downtown Dallas Business District. It lies within the block bounded by Main Street on the North, Commerce Street on the South, Record Street (a pedestrian mall) on the East and Houston Street on the West. The official address is 100 South Houston Street.
There are convenient connections at Dallas Union Station, an easy three blocks walk to and from the museum. Light rail and commuter trains which have park and ride stations are recommend for those who do not wish to drive to downtown Dallas. For those who, reduced rate parking is available for visitors. For more information see: http://www.oldred.org
FIRST FLOOR
On the north-west corner of the first floor is the Dallas Convention and Tourist Bureau Information Center. It is entered from the Main Street or Houston Street entrances.
Items from the gift shop have been relocated in a new ticket counter located about midway between the Houston Street entrance and the “Flying Red Horse.”
At the center of the first floor is a restored “Flying Red Horse”, or the trademark for the Magnolia Petroleum Company, now part of Mobil-Exxon.
This particular edition of “Pegasus” began life as part of an exhibit at the 1939 New York World’s Fair and later was part of a Mobil Station in the Casa Linda Shopping Center in Dallas.
The Grand Stair Case is just opposite Pegasus on the Main Street entrance cross-corridor. The Grand Staircase was removed in 1927 and the space covrted into offices. The staircase was one of the most daunting and expensive features of the restoration, which began in 2001. It is faithful to the original down to the design of the cast iron steps, railings and oak balustrades. One concession to modernity was in the balustrades are two inches higher than the original….OSHA required this since “people are taller than they were in 1892.”
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Changing exhibits are located in an area on the north-east side of the first floor, just off the Main Street entrance. Recent exhibits have included 500 years of Texas Maps and a pictorial display of the city of Irving.
Rest rooms are located on either side of the Grand Staircase.
Museum Staff Offices occupy other spaces on the south-east corner of the first floor.
There are elevators and handicapped entrances in addition to the Grand Stair Case to all floors. The handicapped entrance is reached by a walk from the Record Street side of the building.
SECOND FLOOR
The exhibits on the second floor are grouped in four areas, beginning in the north-west quadrant and continuing in a counter clockwise direction.
Most of the exhibits are located on the Second Floor. This is divided into four eras of history: Each exhibit area has a theater with a video presentation of an overview of that period and includes information on many of the artifacts on display.
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“The Early Years” – Pre-History to 1873
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This area is located in the north-west quadrant of the second floor.
The history of Dallas County is traced to the pre-historic days when Native Americans used this area for hunting – Buffalo, bears and other wild animals were numerous. In 1839 Joh Neely Bryan, a native of Tennessee explored the area and returned in 1841 to found the town. Bryan had envisioned his town to be a river port and Indian Trading Post, but navigation of the Trinity River proved to be difficult and in 1843 Sam Houston met with the Indians and a treaty was enacted which moved the Indians west of Dallas. In 1850 an election was held in which Dallas was selected as the County Seat over Hord’s Ridge and Cedar Springs.There was slow growth and a disastrous fire which practically destroyed the entire town in 1860. The hard times of the Civil War were suffered, but the real growth was ushered in with the arrival of the railroad in 1873.
Among the many artifacts displayed are John Neely Bryan’s Family Bible, a copy of the original plat of the town of Dallas and a replica of Sarah Horton Cockrell’s toll bridge over the Trinity River.
There are also several touch-screen interactive displays to explore other facets of the history and culture of the city and county.
John Neely Bryan stated that “I named the town for my friend Dallas.” The actual person is in quite some doubt and controversy, although Vice-President George Mifflin Dallas is said to the namesake for the County. It is doubtful that Bryan had even heard of the Vice-President and vice-versa.
There are many candidates for the name of the city, including a Commodore Dallas of the Navy.
“Trading Center” – 1874-1918
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Moving across the corridor to the south-west side of the second floor ,the visitor enters the “Trading Center” era exhibit area.
The arrival of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad, from the south to the north and the Texas and Pacific Railroad east to west ushered in the next chapter of Dallas History. Attempts to make Dallas a river port were disappointing. In 1885 a young George Bannerman Dealey arrived from the Galveston Daily News to establish the Dallas Morning News. The population had doubled between the years of 1880 and 1890. In 1892, a new red sandstone County Court House (”Old Red”) was built.The automobile came to town in 1899 and about the same time came the telegraph, the telephone and the electric street cars. Dallas became a center for the manufacture of saddle goods and the leading inland cotton producing center. In 1914 Dallas was selected as the site for a branch of the Federal Reserve Bank.
Just as the railroad had started this chapter, World War I and the growth of aviation when Love Field was begun as a training ground for aviators ended the chapter, along with Dallas’ part in the World War.
There are many facets to the exhibits, including an early “high-wheel” bicycle, a model of an early Curtiss “Jenny” bi-plane in addition to the dark side of displays of reports of a 1910 Lynching .
“Big D” – 1919-1945
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The Texas Centennial Exposition of 1936 plays a prominent part in the video program in the theater of this section, on the south-east corner of the second floor.
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The post World War I era entered in to the era of the “Flappers” of the 1920’s. Charles Lindbergh visited in 1927 and promoted Love Field as a future crossroads of the air.One example is a display of film clips from the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition, including excerpts from the Gene Autry movie “The Big Show”, which was filmed on location at Fair Park during the Exposition. The exposition is said to be the point at which Dallas became known as “Big D” and moved in to prominence amongst the cities of the United States.The dark side of the picture was the rise and fall of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920’s and the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Dallas’ part in World War II and the great Post-War boom era ended this chapter in the history of the city and county of Dallas.
Among the artifacts to be found are the pants of “Spanky” Mc Farland, who went on to fame as the child actor in the “Our Gang” series of movies, produced in Hollywood in the 1930’s. There is also an area in the turret room devoted to exhibits from the Texas Centennial . Depression era exhibits include photographs of the C.C.C. (Civilian Conservation Corps) Camps which provided employment when many were out of work.Souvenirs from the ill-fated submarine which Samuel Dealey commanded are on display, with illustrations showing the Dallas efforts during World War II.
“World Crossroads” – 1946-2007
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The video program in the “World Crossroads” exhibit area, located in the north-east corner of the second floor, began by showing that most of the major cross roads cities began with some natural advantage, such as a seaport or a river port….none of which Dallas had. In 1940, the population of the city of Dallas was 294,734 and this had more than quadrupeled to more than one million by the year 2000. Along with this growth was the growth of the suburban towns, once sleeping villages such as Irving, Garland, Richardson, Grand Prairie and a multitude of others. Many companies, such as Mary Kay, 7-11 , Southwest Airlines, Chili’s Restaurants and Half Price Books stores began in Dallas. There were also the dark days in which Dallas was painted in a bad way following the assasination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. A new spirit of progressivism soon overcame this and the Dallas Cowboys professional football team and the television series “Dallas” only added to the attraction of Dallas as a desirable destination, along with the growth and prestige of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and other orchestral and operatic endeavors, as city and county moved into the the twenty-first century.
Among the many artifacts on display are the hats of Tom Landry, much honored long-time coach of the Dallas Cowboys; the straw hat of “Mr. Peppermint”, personified by personality Jerry Haynes in a popular children’s television series…..along that of the devious “J.R. Ewing” of the television series “Dallas”. In sports, the Heisman Trophy awarded to Southern Methodist University Quarter Back Doak Walker is on display. There is a video display of the “Blues” genre of folk music, which originated in the “Deep Ellum” section and a movie of an African-American film production, produced in the “Harlemwood” area of Dallas. There is also a panel of the front page of the newspapers following the Kennedy assassination, and artifacts connected with J.F.K., Lee Harvey Oswald, Jack Ruby and others.
The Children’s Museum Area
Commanding the area in the middle of the second floor, just opposite a large floor map of Dallas County, is the special Children’s Museum, with touch screen displays for children to play games and answer questions on history. There are “Discovery Carts” laden with the games that children used to play before the advent of the Personal Computer.
THIRD FLOOR
There are additional rest rooms on the third floor which is mostly devoted to storage space and offices for the museum staff. The ceilings on this floor are much lower to compensate for the high ceilings on the second and fourth floors.
FOURTH FLOOR
The Hatton W. Sumners Court Room
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The Hatton W. Sumners Court Room is one of the more notable features found on the fourth floor. Mr. Sumners was a notable figure in judicial circles, having served first as the Dallas County Prosecuting Attorney and later in the U.S. House of Represenatives from 1913 to 1947.
It is said that Mr. Sumners probably missed his opportunity at being appointed to the Supreme Court and even Chief Justice as a result of his successful opposition to voting down President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “Court Packing Bill” .
The Court Room (first on the guided tours and located in the north-east corner of the fourth floor) has been restored to the appearance of 1892, complete to the decorations of cactus blooms on the Judge’s Bench. Unfortunately, the semi-circular, or “lunette” stained-glass windows were removed in a “remodeling and modenization” project. Only one of these remains, the others having been replaced with clear glass. In addition to the Judge’s Bench area, most of the details of chairs and woodwork were restored from old photographs. During the restoration process it was said that there ten layers of paint were removed before the original was reached. There was also a lavish use of color and it was estimated that there were originally 126 different colors in the building. The turret rooms at either ends of the court room were mostly likely used as Judges’ Chamber and Jury Deliberation Room.
The Restoration Room
Across the corridor (south-east corner) from the Court Room is the Restoration Room….or as Mrs. Steffanie Evans, the Museum Education and Tour Director, describes it to the many school children-visitors “The How We Know What We Know Room.” Portions of the ceiling and walls have been left bare to show how the original details of brick, tile and other materials used in the original construction. This room is now available for weddings and other receptions and is quite popular.
Another feature of “Old Red” are the “turret rooms” , or rounded rooms at the ends of the court room and other rooms. In addition to a large expense incurred in The Grand Staircase restorated, no expense was spared to replicate the original curved glass and window frames in the turret rooms. A close up view of the red sandstones may be seen (about 45% of these were found to be in need of replacement – no two stones were identical and each stone had to be cut in place during the restoration.)
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Perched on the four corners of the steep roof are the “Wyverns” ,the grotesque animals said to ward off evil spirits.
The center of the corridor on the fourth floor is a good viewing place for looking down on the Grand Staircase. The only remaining portion of The Grand Stair Case which had survived was the flight of stairs on the east end of the stair well. All of the rest of the area had been converted into office space and a large expense of the restoration process was used in the complete restoration of The Grand Stair Case. Casts were maid of the iron stairs and railings.
One compensation was that the railings had to be made several inches higher to comply with OSHA regulations….people are taller than they were in 1892….so they say.
The Fourth Floor Corridor
There is also a window in the ceiling which affords a view up into the clock tower.
This is also a good place for viewing of the Grand Staircase. All except the flight of stairs ont the east end of the stair well had been ripped out in the 1927 remodeling to provide more office space. The original stairs may be identified by the darker wooden railings and the somewhat more worn appearing of the cast-iron stair treads. All of the rest of the Grand Staircase….cast iron treads, bannisters and wrought-iron railings had to be completed redone and replicated, along with the distinctive floor tiles.
The Great Hall
On the west end of the fourth floor is The Great Hall, has been restored to its original grandeur and and is also popular for wedding dinners and receptions. This is also a good “Observation Room” for viewing Houston Street, from the 1916 Beaux Arts Union Station to the south; the Lawrence Hotel, the one remaing hotel from the railroad era and still open for food and lodging; the George Allen , Jr. Courts Building, previously mentioned, is just across Commerce Street; next is the 1936 Art Deco Federal Office Building, the former United States Post Office Terminal Annex; Dealey Plaza, with the statue of George Bannerman Dealey (1859-1946) long-time founder, editor and publisher of The Dallas Morning News and founder of The Dallas Historic Society.
Colonnades on Dealey Plaza mark the locations of the homes of the early founders, John Neely Bryan and Sarah Horton Cockrell.
To the north are the Dallas County Criminal Courts (1913) ; The Dallas County Records Building (1920’s) and other buildings including the former Texas School Book Depository Building, which now contains The Sixth Floor Museum, devoted to the events of the assasination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
And finally, other compensations to modernity were made….the floors are now carpeted, there is a concealed air conditioning and all the former details of 1892, which were ripped out in a ” modernization” in 1968 have been restored as closely as possible to the original appearances.