Some counties in Texas use their renovations to help adjust with the times. When I started sketching out what Verde County and Madison would look like, I wanted to portray a small town with potential, not one that time and progress had sped by.  Still, when money gets passed out, the facilities are sometimes the last things to receive much needed attention. 

Some courthouses in smaller, more rural counties had no hot water.  Others were decades behind when it came to technology.  It's hard to place a county in the Hill Country and make it a cultural and technological backwater.  So I made Madison quaint, but not completely behind the times. 

I've mentioned before that the Texas Historical Commission (THC) offers emergency grants.  In the case of Callahan County, their grant allowed the courthouse to go from "barely in the 20th Century" to a "Smart Courthouse." While I've focused on historical architecture, in many cases, the biggest need is current technology. 

See how Verde County secured their own grant here.