• Denton Texas Holiday Ornament, 1896 Courthouse, View 1
  • Denton Texas Holiday Ornament, 1896 Courthouse, View 2
  • Denton Texas Holiday Ornament, 1896 Courthouse, View 3
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Denton Texas Holiday Ornament - 1896 Courthouse

Denton Texas Holiday Ornament - 1896 Courthouse

$28.00 USD
$28.00 USD
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1896 Courthouse. Put a clock tower in the middle of a town and you have made a decision about what the town is going to be. Denton made it in 1896 and has not reconsidered.

The Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square was completed that year in Richardsonian Romanesque style - rusticated limestone, corner turrets, and a central tower carrying clock faces on all four sides. It cost the county a fortune and drew the usual complaints about extravagance. It has since outlived the complaints, several attempts at modernization, and a stretch in the mid-twentieth century when the fashion was to knock such buildings down. Today it houses a county museum, and the square around it fills for the music festivals the town is now known for.

The courthouse square is an endangered American form. Most towns let the highway pull the center of gravity out to the edge, and the old square emptied. Denton's did not - the building held, and the town rebuilt itself around it rather than away from it.

For the students, the musicians, the families who have walked that square at Christmas since before they can remember.

Below are excerpts from our Denton history page. The Denton town logo and the full town story are available through the collection link above.

Printed on a three-inch faceted crystal glass round, white-backed so the engraved stonework stays sharp and the gold string lights glow against a lit tree. The faceted edge catches light from every angle. Arrives boxed - your choice of white or gold gift box at checkout.

3-inch (76 mm) round crystal glass ornament · faceted gem-cut edge · white-backed print for crisp contrast · red ribbon hanger · your choice of white or gold gift box, included · free U.S. shipping.


QUICK FACTS — DENTON TX CRYSTAL ORNAMENT — 1896 COURTHOUSE

Town: Denton, Texas

Founded: 1857; incorporated 1866

Known for: The 1896 Courthouse-on-the-Square; a college music town; North Texas Horse Country

Art: 1896 Courthouse, original Merlin Classics engraving

Blank: 3-inch (76 mm) round clear crystal glass ornament, faceted gem-cut edge

Print: white-backed for contrast; red ribbon hanger

Packaging: white or gold gift box, chosen at checkout

Made to order in the USA



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Wear Local. Feed Local. Stay Classic.

Product FAQs

How does your sizing work?

Every item is made to order, so please check the size chart on this page before you buy. Women's fitted tees run small; size up for a looser fit. Caps are one size with an adjustable strap.

How are items made and when will they arrive?

We make each item to order using premium blanks, embroidery and soft-hand prints. Production takes 2-5 business days (weekends and holidays excluded), then 4-10 days in transit via USPS, UPS or FedEx to U.S. addresses; most orders arrive within 6-15 business days. You'll get a tracking link the moment it ships. Any current shipping offer is shown in the bar at the top of every page and applies automatically at checkout, no code needed.

How do I send a gift?

Enter the recipient's address as the shipping address and your own as the billing address at checkout. Nothing ships with a price; the package includes a plain packing slip. Tracking goes to your email, not theirs. For birthdays and holidays, order two weeks ahead to be safe.

What's the return policy?

Made-to-order items can't be returned or exchanged for size or color, so please use the size chart and photos before ordering. If anything arrives defective, misprinted or damaged, send a photo and your order number within 30 days and we'll replace it or refund you.

How do I care for my item?

Apparel: wash cold, inside out, with like colors; no bleach; tumble dry low or hang dry. Embroidered pieces: iron inside out to protect the stitching. Caps: spot clean. Printed glasses and water bottles: hand wash only, no dishwasher, so the artwork lasts. Mugs and engraved glasses are dishwasher safe. Any item-specific care notes are in the description above.

Who makes this?

Merlin Classics is a small Connecticut brand making original retro designs for the towns people love. Every piece is printed, embroidered or engraved to order in the USA, and the business supports hunger relief in the communities our collections celebrate.

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What changed it were the schools. In 1890 the Texas Normal College — today the University of North Texas, one of the largest universities in the state — opened its doors, and in 1901 the Girls' Industrial College, now Texas Woman's University, followed. Two universities in a town this size set the tempo: tens of thousands of students, a year-round calendar of concerts and games and festivals, and a downtown that has been a college town's downtown for well over a century. UNT's music school alone grew into one of the largest in the nation.

The heart of Denton is the Courthouse-on-the-Square, a grand Romanesque-Revival pile of pink granite and limestone finished in 1896, set squarely in the middle of a classic Texas town square. It is the picture on every postcard: the clock tower, the lawn, and the ring of two- and three-story brick storefronts around it, today full of restaurants, bars, record shops, and live-music rooms. The county long ago outgrew it and built a newer courthouse, but the old one stayed on as the Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum — and the square around it stayed the center of town, just as it was laid out in 1857.

Why People Visit Denton

Denton offers the energy of a music town and the ease of a small Texas city — a beautiful courthouse square, a deep live-music calendar, two universities, and a creative streak that earned it the nickname “Little Austin.” It's walkable, friendly, and unmistakably North Texas.

Denton Texas Merlin Classics retro vintage logo featuring the Texas longhorn and Lone Star over Texas Republic Est. 1845