Colorful and interesting story of historic Glen Rose. Built in about 1859 on the Paluxy River, Barnard’s Mill became the hub of activity for the area. Barnard’s Mill grew as a trading center for Indians, early pioneers, and buffalo hunters. It became the center of activity in the area. Local people traded, used the public well and socialized there. As more settlers moved to the area, the need for a trading center faded and the need for a place to conduct legal matters–better law enforcement–in the area grew.

Major Tyler Calhoun Jordan came to Glen Rose about 1871 and bought Barnard’s Mill, as well as other property located in what is now the town of Glen Rose. He came to the area from Dallas where he had been a banker. Prior to his coming to Dallas, Jordan was a major in the Bedford County, Virginia Light Artillery during the Civil War. Somervell County was formed out of Hood County in 1875 because the people of the Glen Rose area felt it was too far to travel by wagon to Granbury to conduct their business. Major Jordan made an agreement with a number of leading citizens to build the courthouse at his own expense, only if the people would buy lots around the square, and the site had to be situated in Brown’s cornfield.

A number of the lots were sold and the construction of the first courthouse began in 1876. The building was made of native stone. The work progressed well, and the construction had reached the height of the window frames, when Major Jordan suffered financial reverses, and the work stopped.

Finally, about 1882, the Somervell County Commissioners Court arranged for the funds to complete the project. This first courthouse was a simple, two-story, hip-roofed structure with a cupola-like attachment at the top located on the site where the Courthouse is in present Glen Rose town square. It was surrounded by a wooden fence, and was somewhat smaller than the present courthouse. However, in 1893 a horrible fire destroyed that courthouse, along with most of the county records prior to that date.

The need for a new courthouse again became a priority for the county, and on February 17, 1893, the Commissioners’ Court voted to build a new one. This courthouse was to be two stories in height, to have a stone exterior, and contain a fireproof vault. The contract for the construction was awarded to John Carmichael at a cost of $13,500, less $200 for the walls of the old courthouse.

Completed in 1893, the building was created with limestone for the exterior walls, quarried from the Kirk place, south of town near the Paluxy River. These stones had to be hauled to the construction site by wagons pulled by oxen, mules or horses. It boasted a mansard roof and clock tower, with an elaborate cornice. The beautiful clock faces were the main focal point of the courthouse, and was sure to be the pride of the citizenry.

Things went well for the new town site of Glen Rose until 1902, when a tornado buzzed it’s way through the downtown area of Glen Rose, and drastically damaged the courthouse, especially the clock tower, blowing the clocks completely out . No effort was made to completely restore the towers of the courthouse. The sides, where the clocks had been, were just boarded up until 1986. Work to completely restore the courthouse began at a cost of about $600,000. At that time, new clocks were placed in the clock tower, new furniture was purchased for the county offices, and professional landscaping updated the grounds. Today the Somervell Courthouse stands as an icon of the courageous and tenacious spirit of the county settlers and residents.

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