The Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum is located at the Courthouse on the Square. The museum is one of three Denton County museums, which also include the Bayless-Selby House Museum, and the Denton County African American Museum.
Certification
The Courthouse Museum is certified by the Texas Historical Commission through the Curatorial Facility Certification Program. This allows the museum to house state-associated held-in-trust items. These are items that are owned by the state and are usually archeological items excavated from public land. The Courthouse Museum is allowed to house and maintain these collections for the state. The four step application process took museum curator Kim Cupit two years to complete. There are currently seven certified curatorial facilities in the state. The Courthouse Museum is the only museum in North Texas to be certified.
Contents
The Denton Record-Chronicle has donated its collection of historical photographs to the museum. A small portion of photographs are available to the public at this time.
Museum archives and the Denton County Historical Commission records are available on the first floor of the Courthouse-on-the-Square. The Historical Commission maintains a continuing record of all cemeteries and burials in Denton County that is especially helpful to genealogists. Archival records also include documents and photographs of early Denton County people and places. The commission and museum library has dozens of volumes on local history, Texas history, and guides to antiques and collectibles available for on-site research.
Exhibits
Main Room
- Denton County Communities: A Look at Our Own Past
- Historic African American Families of Denton County
- Historic Hispanic Families of Denton County
- Living and Working on a Farm in Denton County
- A Chronology of Denton County through Weaponry
- Mementos of Childhood: Dolls from the collection of Gustine Weaver and wicker baby furniture
- Southwest American Indian Pottery
- Furniture from Denton County
Special Collections Room (formerly the 1896 Room)
- American Pressed Blue Glass, from the collection of Nettie Jo Cummings
- Thimbles from around the World, from the collection of Dr. Bethel Caster
- Pecan Art: the Folk Art of B. W. Crawford
- Quilts
First Floor South Hall
- Denton County Pottery
- The Old Alton Community and Bridge
- Denton County on Horseback
First Floor West Hall
- Cattle Brands and Branding Irons
- 1853 Marcy Map
Miscellaneous
- Strangely, a piece of the Berlin Wall can be found on display.
