RED BRICK STREETS

Memphis features fifty blocks of brick paving along its streets, installed in 1926, providing a brick-red aesthetic to the town that is reflected in several of its historic brick buildings. In fact, Memphis has quite a collection of historic structures, including its First Presbyterian Church, now called the Presbyterian Building as it no longer serves a congregation. Built in 1911, it illustrates a Neo-classical Revival detailing in its arched windows and domed roof and features ninety stained-glass windows. Its most unique feature, however, is its large pipe organ, originally powered by manually controlled waterworks that regulated the pipes’ air pressure to create musical notes.

In the center of the Memphis square, the historic Hall County courthouse features a Classical Revival design expressed in its reinforced concrete and clay tile structure and its dark brick and cast stone veneer. Completed in 1923, the active courthouse features Classical and Beaux Arts detailing including Corinthian columns and decorative stone garlands. The courthouse is Memphis’ third, achieving county seat status in 1890, fourteen years after the Texas Legislature created Hall County. The Hall County Heritage Hall Museum, located in the historic First National Bank building, tells the story.