The Heart of Bexar County

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Bexar County Courthouse.
submitted for masonry, electrical, painting, and
window restoration.
Work began in February of 2002. After the
scaffolding was installed, Nelson and I climbed
up to the top of the courthouse to view the work
that was in progress. We got to see first-hand
and up-close the damage that had been done
to the Pecos red sandstone, the terra cotta and
the windows.
Almost immediately I was able to raise
$300,000 from the San Antonio Conservation
Society. They were concerned about the historic
courthouse and were glad that it would be
properly restored.
Over the next year, 509 windows were
restored. The chipped-off pieces of sandstone
and terra cotta were repaired, as well as all
the cast-iron railings. The project was
completed in 2002. Texas Construction
Magazine gave us an award of excellence in
the Public Renovation/Restoration category.
Betty Bueche could now see that Nelson and
I were committed to completing the restoration
of the courthouse. So, she accepted an invitation
to come to work for the county full time. Over
the next 16 years, she would play the leading
role in the restoration. We are forever grateful
to Betty.
While I continued successfully over the years to
raise funds for all three goals of the Hidalgo
Foundation, my first major project remained my
priority—raising funds to build the children’s court.
2 8 F T H E H E A R T O F B E X A R C O U N T Y