My wife and I went to Canyon this morning to watch a parade and to sample some so-called “food” sold at one of the many booths scattered around the Courthouse Square.

We had a good time looking at the arts and crafts. The weather was gorgeous. It was a great day to watch a parade.

Still, I couldn’t take my eyes off that exquisite courthouse structure in the middle of the square.

After so much hassle, heartache and occasional hysteria over many years from historic preservationists, the courthouse exterior is all dolled up. The money came from a Texas Historical Commission grant, with the county kicking in a little bit to cover the rest of the cost.

As pretty as the outside of the 1909-vintage building is, the inside is, well, a dilapidated mess.

I’m still waiting for someone or some agency or some business to step up and take over the place. With all the effort that went into preserving the courthouse building exterior, I remain baffled as to why it remains vacant.

Randall County’s government has vacated the place. It occupies the finance building across the street; it’s where the commissioners court meets, the county judge has his office, as does the human resources department. Its justice center is about a mile and a half away, at the old Wal-Mart site across the street from West Texas A&M University.

Who will move in? That’s still anyone’s guess, last I heard.

Still, the courthouse made for an elegant backdrop today for the Canyon Chamber of Commerce’s Independence Day celebration. I just wish there was a way to finish the job and put someone on the inside of a very old, but gorgeous once again, structure.