The courthouse ranks among Gordon's best work, illustrating the range of his talent in this shift from his earlier Romanesque mode to a full-blown classicism. The Beaux-Arts building commands a full block and is executed in white limestone with metal cornices and dome painted to look like stone. The vertical proportions are given a wonderful airiness by the fluttering wings of the large eagles around the dome. Unlike many Texas county courthouses, the McLennan Courthouse is not situated in a public square surrounded by the town's commercial district. Instead, it fronts one of the several main commercial streets of downtown Waco, with a grand staircase that ascends the sloped site.