The Mason County Courthouse in Mason, Texas, is a historic landmark originally built in 1909, designed by Georgia-born architect Edward Columbus Hosford. Tragically, the courthouse was destroyed by an arsonist’s fire on February 4, 2021.
As part of the restoration efforts, H&L was contracted to design, fabricate, and deliver a brand-new cupola, along with supplying shingles and custom cornices for the rebuild.
The Cupola: Design & Fabrication
The new cupola, measuring approximately 32 feet wide and 30 feet high, was built with historical accuracy in mind. It features an octagonal shape and consists of 16 large sections—8 upper pieces and 8 lower pieces—each built with a steel frame and clad with galvalume, pre-painted aluminum, and pre-painted galvalume. All 16 pieces were skinned with 22-gauge galvalume for fastening. Underlayment was applied to the galvalume before adding the final cladding. The lower pieces were clad in 0.032” pre-painted aluminum and the upper pieces were shingled with 26-gauge pre-painted galvalume.
For transportation and assembly, the lower pieces were shipped and assembled on-site in Texas, while the upper sections were pre-assembled at our Markham shop. The cupola also included 8 newly fabricated custom louvres and 4 decorative finials, all carefully replicated from historic photos to match the courthouse’s original design.
Additional Custom Fabrications
Beyond the cupola, H&L provided a range of custom elements to restore the courthouse’s exterior, including:
Throughout the process, we collaborated closely with engineers to ensure all structural details, including weight and load calculations, were meticulously accounted for.
Coordination & Project Management
This project required seamless coordination from start to finish. With a tight deadline, we carefully planned fabrication and delivery, working with multiple suppliers to keep materials arriving on schedule. Weekly reports kept the client updated on progress, while our team ensured all deliveries stayed on track.
The Mason County Courthouse restoration is a perfect example of H&L’s ability to manage large-scale historic projects. From historical accuracy and expert fabrication to tight-schedule coordination, this project highlights our ability to deliver complex restorations while juggling multiple jobs simultaneously.
We traveled down to Mason County to oversee the cupola lift, and what an experience that was! It was incredible to see the community come together to witness this major milestone. You can read more about it here: Mason County Courthouse Cupola Lift
And if you are looking for a second opinion on your project or have a particularly complex issue that needs a fresh eye, we’re here for that too. Tackling tricky challenges in historic building restoration is our specialty, and we welcome the opportunity to provide, and we welcome the opportunity to provide consulting advice, with the same exacting attention to detail we bring to all our commissions.
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