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F R E D E R I C K   E R N S T   R U F F I N I   C O L L E C T I O N S

Frederick Ernst Ruffini was the architect of the Robertson County courthouse and jail in Franklin.  The Texas State Library & Archives Commission & the Alexander Architectural Archive of the General Libraries at the University of Texas at Austin both have information about these buildings in their collections, including some floor plans and architectural drawings.

Texas State Archives & Library Commission

F. E. and Oscar Ruffini:  An Inventory of the Ruffini Collection.  Information is online at www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/tslac/40060/tsl-40060.html

Of particular interest is the following quote from the narrative accompanying the Ruffini Collection inventory: 

"From the extant drawings and photographs, it appears F. E. Ruffini used a few basic courthouse plans, and then made each building distinctive by details such as stonework, window treatment, and roof line. The Gregg and Rusk county courthouses differ only in details. The Robertson, Navarro, Williamson, and Hays county courthouses are based on one plan, though the Navarro County Courthouse appears more elaborate and was designed with a central clock tower instead of one over the front entrance."

Items in this collection relating to the Robertson County courthouse and jail include the following:

Robertson County Courthouse, Franklin, Texas, [1880?] [Drawings are in pieces; only a portion of each drawing is present.]:
Map-case
Ruffini small drawers 1961/001-92a and 92b Foundation (2 pieces) [linen; 29 cm x 35 cm, 29 cm x 41 cm]
  1961/001-93 First floor [linen; 32 cm x 62 cm]
  1961/001-94 Second floor [linen; 33 cm x 62 cm]
  1961/001-95 [Third] floor [linen; 29.5 cm x 62 cm]
  1961/001-96 Front elevation [linen; 33 cm x 53.5 cm]
  1961/001-97 Rear elevation [linen; 31 cm x 60 cm]
  1961/001-98 Elevation towards west [linen; 30 cm x 54 cm]
  1961/001-99 Longitudinal section [linen; 33 cm x 55.5cm]

The following additional references appear in the inventory relating to Franklin & Robertson County:

Other Type
Photo 1961/001-9 and 10 Georgetown, Texas. Williamson County Courthouse, [ca. 1877-1879] [albumen commercial cards (6 x 7.5 in.); 4 x 5 copy negatives]
    Images are copy photos of architectural renderings by F. E. Ruffini for the proposed structure. May have also been related to the design for the Hays County and Robertson County courthouses in San Marcos and Franklin.

Other Type
Photo 1961/001-16 New Braunfels, Texas. "Comal County Prison," [ca. 1878-1879] [albumen commercial card (6 x 8 in.); 4 x 5 copy negative]
    Copy photo of architectural rendering by F. E. Ruffini for the proposed jail. May have also been related to the design for the Collin County and Robertson County jails in McKinney and Franklin.
    [See Architectural drawings series for jail plans.]

Jails
        Jail [Collin, Comal and/or Robertson county jail], [between 1878 and 1882?]:
          [Penciled notations probably by Oscar Ruffini show he may have used the plan for a courthouse design, 1890.]

Alexander Architectural Archive of the General Libraries at the University of Texas at Austin

Frederick E. Ruffini:  An Index To His Collection.  Information about this collection is online at www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utaaa/00080/aaa-00080.html#a23.  Processing is not completed.  Please see archival staff for more information.