Question: What Texas county courthouse is adorned with carved stone faces said to represent a local woman?
Answer: The Ellis County Courthouse in Waxahachie, completed in 1895, is one of only a few courthouses in Texas that feature carvings of faces. According to local legend, some of its 21 faces represent Mabel Frame, the beautiful daughter of the owner of a Waxahachie boarding house where English stonemason Harry Herley is said to have lodged while he was working on the courthouse. Mabel supposedly rebuffed Herley when he expressed his affection for her, prompting him to disfigure her face in some of the carvings.
While it’s an intriguing story, local historians haven’t given it much credence. The carvings are similar to those found on European Romanesque buildings, and it’s unlikely Herley ever met Mabel. Nevertheless, locals continue to embrace the tale, and the Waxahachie Chamber of Commerce annually gives the Mabel Frame award to people and organizations that attract tourists to the city.
