A crowning moment in Tyler, Texas

Southern Lifting and Hoisting crews look at the task ahead; installing a 72,000-pound dome atop the Smith County Courthouse in Tyler, Texas. PHOTOS: Gravity Films

Courthouses have long been an architectural anchor within communities. As many as six courthouse buildings have housed county government in Smith County, Texas, and at least three have anchored the town square in Tyler, Texas, where residents have a great fascination with courthouses. In 1955, the gorgeous old Smith County Courthouse was replaced with a more modern and plain government building, which will soon be dismantled as well.

Shown above, the photo from 1955 shows the beautiful old Classical Revival courthouse, built in 1909, being dismantled in front of the more modern courthouse that will in turn be demolished early in 2027, according to news reports.

This photo doesn’t just enshrine a moment in history; it captures a moment in history representing a debate that is part of the fabric of the community.

Why was the courthouse dismantled in the first place? Why lose such beautiful architecture to be replaced with a building built largely on function without form?

A 900-ton Liebherr LTM 1750 hoisted the 56,000-pound lower portion of the dome.

Unique approach

Whatever the individual view is for Smith County, in 2022 voters approved a $179 million project to return an architectural showcase to the downtown square. This will be the county’s seventh courthouse.

It is not often that a company finds itself in a key moment in history, but that was certainly the case for Southern Lifting and Hoisting, which had the honor and privilege of crowning this new courthouse with the new two-tiered dome structure.

Streets that were once teeming with horse-drawn carriages were recently traveled by a 900-ton Liebherr LTM 1750 all-terrain crane dispatched for this specialized lift.

Southern Lifting and Hoisting crews had to consider several complex engineering variables and conditions such as site layout, nighttime operations, and wind, just to name a few.

Citizens of Smith County awoke the morning of March 23, 2026, to find the 56,000-pound lower portion of the dome successfully installed by Southern Lifting and Hoisting’s crews.

By March 23, 2026, the dome and upper structure were in place, creating a new skyline for the Tyler Square.

Later that morning the upper portion of the dome, weighing 16,000 pounds, was installed. The full dome structure added some 60 feet of height to the courthouse. Fourteen-foot columns support the dome.

The skyline and community are now facing a new architectural anchor that forms a lasting legacy for Tyler and Smith County.