Over the years, the Edwards County Courthouse in Rocksprings, Texas, has endured some tough times. In 1897, a fire gutted the building; in 1927, a deadly tornado struck town, causing additional structural damage and need for repair.
But 2010 brought a turn of luck.
That year, the courthouse, first constructed in 1891, was selected to receive a grant from the Texas Historical Commission through the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program. The $99,333 in funding, combined with an additional $1,334,814 major construction grant from the program in 2013, has allowed the 
structure to be remodeled to its original splendor, and a rededication ceremony will celebrate the update over this year’s Fourth of July weekend.
Texas has more historic courthouses than any other state, and Edwards is one of dozens of counties that have benefited from the historic preservation initiative, which was established in 1999 by then-Gov. George W. Bush.
Rocksprings will commemorate the Edwards County Courthouse restoration at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 5 with a reception on the square’s south lawn. The ceremony will be held in conjunction with the 85th Annual Edwards County Fourth of July Celebration, which features a parade, live music, a rodeo, and a goat cook-off, among other activities.
For more information on the rededication, contact Debra L. Wolcott, chair of the Edwards County Historical Commission, at (713) 515-2780.
To learn more about the Texas Historical Commission’s Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, go to thc.state.tx.us/preserve.
Photos courtesy of Ashley Rupp, Edwards County