Civil and Commercial Architecture
Copyright © 2004-2021, Scott D. Murdock

I've always been fascinated by architecture. I recall, at about age 11, studying books of house plans for fun, and writing a report on Frank Lloyd Wright. So, I've had an appreciation of architecture simmering on the back burner for half a century. I cover plenty of military architecture in my trip reports, but this page will showcase three categories of civilian buildings that I have photographed: Carnegie libraries, Texas county courthouses, and small movie theaters.

Carnegie Libraries

Alabama
Eufaula

Montgomery

Arkansas
Morrilton

Colorado
Boulder
Brush
Canon City
Colorado Springs
Denver (Main)
Denver (Byers)
Denver (Decker)
Denver (Dickinson)
Denver (Park Hill)
Denver (Smiley)
Denver (Warren)
Denver (Woodbury)
Florence
Fort Collins
Fort Lupton
Idaho Springs
Leadville
Littleton
Longmont
Monte Vista
Old Colorado City
Rocky Ford
Sterling
Trinidad
Georgia
Cuthbert
Idaho
Wallace
Indiana
Jeffersonville
Peru
Iowa
Council Bluffs
Greenfield
Glenwood
Hamburg
Red Oak
Shenandoah
Kansas
Hutchinson
Kentucky
Louisville
Maine
Hinckley

Michigan
Cheboygan
Escanaba
Houghton
Ishpeming
Sault Ste. Marie
Missouri
Jefferson City
Louisiana

Montana
Hamilton
Kalispell
Lewistown
Miles City
Nebraska
Alliance
Alma
Ashland
Aurora
Beatrice
Chadron
Clarks
Clay Center
Columbus
Crete
Fairbury
Fairfield
Franklin
Geneva
Gothenburg
Grand Island
Harvard
Holdrege
McCook
North Bend
North Platte
O'Neill
Pawnee City
Plainview
Randolph
Schuyler
Scottsbluff
Seward
Shelton
Sidney
Spencer
Superior
Tecumseh
Wymore
New Hampshire
Dover

New Mexico
Las Vegas
Oklahoma
El Reno
South Dakota
Hot Springs
Texas
Ballinger
Belton
Bryan
Cleburne
Franklin
Gainesville
Jefferson
Sherman
Stamford
Terrell
Wisconsin
Antigo
Hayward

Wyoming
Buffalo
Evanston
Laramie
Lusk
Newcastle
Ontario, Canada
Campbellford

Texas County Courthouses

I've driven past many of the county courthouses in Texas. Here are some I've photographed:
Archer County, Archer City
Atascosa County, Jourdanton
Bastrop County, Bastrop
Bell County, Belton
Blanco County (retired), Blanco
Blanco County (current), Johnson City
Brazos County, Bryan
Burnet County, Burnet
Clay County, Henrietta
Collin County (retired), McKinney
Cooke County, Gainsville
Coryell County, Gatesville
Dallam County, Dalhart
Dallas County (retired), Dallas
Denton County (retired), Denton
Eastland County, Eastland
Ellis County, Waxahachie
Frio County, Pearsall
Guadalupe County, Seguin
Hamilton County, Hamilton
Harrison County (former), Marshall
Harrison County (current), Marshall
Hill County, Hillsboro
Hood County, Granbury
Hopkins County, Sulphur Springs
Jack County, Jacksboro
Johnson County, Cleburne
Jones County, Anson
Kaufman County, Kaufman
Lampasas County, Lampasas
LaSalle County, Cotulla
Marion County, Jefferson
McLennan County, Waco
Medina County (former), Castroville
Medina County (current), Hondo
Mills County, Goldthwaite
Montague County, Montague
Moore County, Dumas
Palo Pinto County, Palo Pinto
Parker County, Weatherford
Parmer County, Farwell
Presidio County, Marfa
Robertson County (former), Calvert
Robertson County (current),Franklin
Runnels County, Ballinger
Shackelford County, Albany
Somervell County, Glen Rose
Tarrant County, Fort Worth
Titus County, Mount Pleasant
Travis County, Austin (Note the state capitol in the background.)
Wilbarger County, Vernon
Williamson County, Georgetown
Wilson County, Floresville
Wise County, Decatur
Yoakum County, Plains
Young County, Graham

Movie Theaters

Some of these old theaters sit empty and boarded-up. Some have new lives as stores. Some still function as theaters.
Paramount Theater, Abilene, Texas
Alliance Theater, Alliance, Nebraska
Palace Theater, Anson, Texas
Royal Theater, Archer City, Texas (of "The Last Picture Show" fame)
Land of the Sun Theater, Artesia, New Mexico
State Theater, Austin, Texas
Texas Theater, Ballinger, Texas
Rialto Theater, Brownfield, Texas
Sands Theater, Brush, Colorado
Queen Theater, Bryan, Texas
Aron Theater, Campbellford, Ontario, Canada
Rainbow Theater, Castroville, Texas (c. 1940)
Lincoln Theater, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Luna Theatre, Clayton, New Mexico
Esquire Theater, Cleburne, Texas
Lyceum Theater, Clovis, New Mexico
Mesa Theater, Clovis, New Mexico
State Theater, Clovis, New Mexico
Twin Peak Theater, Colorado Springs, Colorado (c. 1915, recently remodeled)
Orpheum Theater, Conrad, Montana
Fiesta Theater, Cortez, Colorado
Texas Theater, Dallas, Texas (of Lee Harvey Oswald fame)
Bluebird Theater, Denver, Colorado
Esquire Theater, Denver, Colorado
Fine Arts Theater, Denton, Texas
Majestic Theater, Eastland, Texas (c. 1920, modified 1946)
Arcadia Theater, Floresville, Texas
State Theater, Gainesville, Texas
Palace Theater, Georgetown, Texas
Rose Theater, Glendive, Montana
National Theater, Graham, Texas
Granbury Live, Granbury, Texas
Uptown Theater, Grand Prairie, Texas
Unnamed newly-restored theater, Hondo, Texas (c. 1938)
Lamar Theater, Lamar, Colorado
Wyo Theater, Laramie, Wyoming
State Theater, Larned, Kansas
Fort Union Drive-In Theater, Las Vegas, New Mexico
Kiva Theater, Las Vegas, New Mexico
SERF Theater, Las Vegas, New Mexico (seen in the movie Red Dawn)
Valley Drive-In, Lompoc, California
Lea Theater, Lovington, New Mexico
Fox Theater, McCook, Nebraska (c. 1927)
Montana Theater, Miles City, Montana
Rialto Theater, Missouri Valley, Iowa
Star Drive-In Theater, Monte Vista, Colorado (adjacent to Best Western Movie Manor)
Dogie Theater, Newcastle, Wyoming
Plaza Theater, Ottawa, Kansas
Colonial (Fox) Theater, Pittsburgh, Kansas
Orpheum Theater, Plentywood, Montana
American Dream Drive-In, Powell, Wyoming
Crown Theater, Price, Utah
Price Theater, Price, Utah
Grand Theater, Rocky Ford, Colorado
Former Theater, Roswell, New Mexico (now the UFO Museum!)
Starlite Theatre, Schertz, Texas
Roxy Theater, Shelby, Montana
Legacy Theater, Shenandoah, Iowa
The Centre Theater, Sidney, Montana
Fox Theater, Sidney, Nebraska
Grand Theater, Stamford, Texas (c. 1936)
Fox 5 Theater, Sterling, Colorado
Tampa Theater, Tampa, Florida
Howard Theater, Taylor, Texas
Plaza Theater, Vernon, Texas
Texas Theater, Waxahachie, Texas

19 Jun 2011 - added two Carnegie libraries and one cool sign.
2 Aug 2011 - added one Carnegie library.
28 Aug 2011 - added one Carnegie library.
25 Sep 2011 - added one Carnegie library.
10 Oct 2011 - added two Texas county courthouses and one Carnegie library.
24 Nov 2011 - added one Carnegie library.
17 Jun 2012 - added two Carnegie libraries.
7 Jul 2012 - added one Carnegie library and four theaters.
12 Aug 2012 - added seven Carnegie libraries.
1 Dec 2012 - added four Carnegie libraries.
1 Jun 2013 - added seven Carnegie libraries.
30 Jun 2013 - added two Carnegie libraries.
5 Aug 2013 - added one Carnegie library, one cool sign, and one theater.
20 Aug 2013 - added one theater.
20 Sep 2013 - added two Carnegie libraries and four theaters.
21 Oct 2013 - added a group of cool signs in Grand Prairie, Texas.
15 Jan 2014 - added one theater.
17 Jun 2014 - added four cool signs, one streamline moderne building, and two theaters.
16 Aug 2015 - added one Carnegie library.
30 Aug 2015 - added one Carnegie library.
13 May 2016 - added one Carnegie library, a water tower, and a wood burner.
3 Sep 2016 - added two Carnegie libraries.
16 Sep 2016 - added one cool sign and one theater.
4 Jan 2017 - added seven Carnegie libraries.
3 Jun 2017 - added four Carnegie libraries and three theaters.
23 Jul 2017 - added one Carnegie library.
26 Aug 2017 - added two Carnegie libraries.
2 Jun 2018 - added one Carnegie library.
5 Nov 2018 - added two Carnegie libraries.
27 May 2019 - added one Carnegie library.
16 Jun 2019 - added one Carnegie library.
26 Jun 2020 - added one Carnegie library.
26 Apr 2021 - added one Carnegie library.
4 Jun 2021 - added two theaters.
4 Sep 2021 - major descoping and decluttering.


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