[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 125 (Monday, September 30, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1709]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


     HONORING THE ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE McLENNAN COUNTY 
                               COURTHOUSE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHET EDWARDS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 30, 2002

  Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, the citizens of McLennan County, Texas are 
celebrating today, September 26, 2002, the 100th Anniversary of the 
McLennan County Courthouse, located in my hometown of Waco.
  On April 28, 1900, at the turn of the last century, the needs of a 
growing Central Texas population demanded a new courthouse and jail. To 
pay for a structure, bonds were approved by the voters, and 
construction of the Courthouse began with the purchase of land on the 
corner of North 5th and Washington St. In December 1900, a contract for 
construction of the Courthouse was awarded, and in June 1901, the 
cornerstone was laid. Less than a year later, in 1902, the project was 
completed.
  Today, the McLennan County Courthouse is a Texas Historical Landmark 
and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. With its 
classic Renaissance Revival design, it is widely recognized as one of 
the most beautiful public buildings still in use. Recent additions to 
the Courthouse include a series of paintings celebrating the rich 
history of Waco and McLennan County.
  Atop the building stands Themis, the Greek personification of 
Justice, Justitia, her Roman counterpart, and Liberty, the torchbearer, 
representing the importance of justice and the law to the citizens of 
McLennan County for the past hundred years. Although much has changed 
in that hundred years, the McLennan County Courthouse continues to 
provide integral services to the community, and stands as an important 
monument to the long tradition of the rule of law in Central Texas.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the Members of the House of Representatives to 
join me in celebrating, with the City of Waco, Texas and its 
surrounding communities, the 100th Anniversary of the McLennan County 
Courthouse.

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