| Marker Text |
Commissioned by the Casino Association of La Grange, construction of the Casino Hall began in 1880. Designed by James Wahrenberger of Austin, the 10,000-square-foot structure was built by John T. Campbell for $12,000. It served the community as a “house for social and public use and benefit generally,” not as a place of gambling. The yellow ochre brick building boasts Italianate decorative elements, such as overhanging eaves and a stepped brickwork cornice with paired brackets. The windows and doors have iron hood moldings and round arches on the first floor and the center of the front façade. The second floor windows have segmental arches. Decorative roundels adorn the first floor windows on the outer bays. Brick pilasters with stepped tops outline the edges of the building and bays, and a stringcourse spans the first and second stories. The gabled roof has broken pediments on each end. A single-story portico at the main entrance has two square columns on each side and a balustrade along the top. The interior design provided a place for social gatherings, and music and theatrical exhibitions. The casino also served as a free school and teaching institute. Annie W. Blanton, graduate of 1886, became the first woman elected to statewide office as superintendent of public instruction in 1918. The casino served as city hall, headquarters of the volunteer fire service, and later the activity center for senior citizens. It stood vacant before being renovated and reverting to a place of “gemütlichkeit,” which loosely translates as “a locale of good mood, belonging, and social acceptance.” Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2017 |
