An original painted ceiling tile from the historic DeWitt County Courthouse is now on display at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin.
The DeWitt County Commissioners Court approved a 10-month loan agreement for the state museum to display the ceiling tile in late April. The exhibition period will be from May 1 through Jan. 31, 2027.
The ceiling tile, which has a value of $3,000, was picked up by the state museum April 28 and it will be returned Feb. 28, 2027.
The ceiling tile is being displayed in the state museum’s Texas Art Gallery on the second floor of the Texas History Galleries. The exhibit highlights and celebrates Texas courthouse architecture as works of art.
DeWitt County Historical Commission Chair Peggy Ledbetter said the original tile on exhibit in Austin is about 2-feetsquare and was discovered hidden away in the 19th Century building before it was restored.
“It was found in the attic covering a hole,” Ledbetter said. “It was an original from the construction of the building in 1896.”
The courthouse, which was designed in the Romanesque Revival style by noted architect Arthur O. Watson and completed under the supervision of Eugene T. Heiner, was restored in 2007, according to the Texas Historical Commission which approved it for the Restoration Program. The restoration reversed interior alterations made in the 1950s that included stripping out original Victorian details, lowering ceilings and removing key features.
The state museum, which is located near the Texas State Capitol, is dedicated to spreading the “Story of Texas.” It is named for the 38th Lieutenant Governor of Texas Bob Bullock who championed the preservation of Texas history. The museum opened in 1999 and is operated by the Texas State Preservation Board, which also operates the Capitol building.
