Architect: Henry T. Phelps Year Built: 1913. The Mills County Courthouse is located in the central Texas town of Goldthwaite. It is a three-story Classical Revival-style building made of brick with a cast stone basement. This courthouse replaced the first courthouse built in 1890 (burned in 1912). The grounds contain several monuments, including a large…

Architect: Henry T. Phelps Year Built: 1913 The 1913 Jim Hogg County Courthouse is the only courthouse the county has ever had. Designed by San Antonio architect Henry T. Phelps, it has been remodeled several times and it’s an icon in the Hebbronville, Texas skyline. The Courthouse is somewhat simplistic for a Phelps design, and…

Architect: Henry T. Phelps Year Built: 1928 The current San Patricio County Courthouse is located in Sinton, Texas.  It is the 6th courthouse for San Patricio County. It replaced the 1893 courthouse designed by James Riely Gordon (demolished in 1927). Phelps also designed the following Texas courthouses: Atascosa County Blanco County Jim Hogg County Kimble County…

Architect: Alfred Giles Year Built: 1882 The 1882 Courthouse was the second one built in Gillespie County, Texas. It was used until 1939, and currently sits on the same block (and directly next to) the modern (1939) Gillespie County Courthouse. Alfred Giles also designed the courthouses in Presidio County, Webb County, Brooks County, and Wilson…

Architect: Henry T. Phelps Year Built: 1922 The Willacy County Courthouse is located in Raymondville – part of the Rio Grande Valley in Deep South Texas. Raymondville was formed in 1904 by Edward Burleson Raymond, a foreman of the El Sauz Ranch portion of the King Ranch and owner of the Las Majadas Ranch. Willacy County…

Architect: Walter Chamberlain Year Built: 1911 Contractor: Falls County Construction Company The following narrative is taken from the San Saba Historic Courthouse Master Plan  prepared by  Mr. Kim Williams of The Williams Company, AIA (internal citations removed): San Saba County was created in 1856 as one of several new counties carved from the giant Bexar Land…

Architect: Martin, Byrnes & Johnston Year Built: 1886 From the Texas Historical Commission: The Hamilton County Courthouse, originally built in 1887, was transformed by efforts to modernize and expand the building in 1932. It embodies eclectic elements of style from the Richardsonian Romanesque (crenellated square turrets, round arch windows), the Neoclassical (pedimented porticoes supported by…

The Texas judicial branch, responsible for interpreting state law, once had its center in the Capitol.  The Supreme Court met in beautifully designed room on the third floor north wing. The Supreme Court judges presided in a room with plush carpeting, walnut furniture and a drapery and sat behind an elaborately carved bench. The Supreme…

Architect: Wesley Clark (“W.C.”) Dodson Year Built: 1883 The Lampasas County Courthouse is located in the City of Lampasas.  It is absolutely beautiful, and is one of many of Dodson’s designs. Works by Dodson or his partnership include (with attribution): Coryell County Courthouse, Public Sq. Gatesville, TX  Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square, Public Sq., Denton, TX  Fannin County…

Architect: Atlee B. Ayers Year Built: 1914 The Kleberg County courthouse is located in Kingsville, Texas. It was designed by Atlee Ayers of San Antonio, who also designed the courthouses in Refugio County, Jim Wells County, and Cameron County. Ayers also oversaw reconstruction of the 1887 Val Verde County courthouse.  The annex was built in 1966….

Architect: Atlee B. Ayers Year Built: 1912. The 1912 Cameron County Courthouse is absolutely beautiful. Designed in the Classical style, it is constructed of brown brick and terra cotta that give off a magnificent glow in the Deep South Texas sun. Atlee Ayers was the State Architect for the State of Texas from 1914 to…

Year Built: 1904 major renovation in 1950 Architect: Henry T. Phelps The 1904 Frio County Courthouse is located in Pearsall, Texas, and is the fifth Courthouse to serve the county. It was built in 1904 and majorly remodeled in 1930. It underwent further significant alterations in 1950. The ruins of the 3rd Frio County courthouse…

Architect: Henry T. Phelps Year Built: 1916 The “new” Blanco County Courthouse was built in Johnson City following relocation of the county seat from Blanco in 1890. This structure replaced the “Old” Blanco County Courthouse designed by F.E. Ruffini and built in Blanco’s town square in 1886. Built in the classical revival style, this courthouse…

Architect:  Henry T. Phelps Year Built: 1923-24 The Schleicher County Courthouse is located in the tiny town of Eldorado. The current (1924) courthouse replaced an earlier building which burned in 1917. Phelps also designed Blanco County Courthouse (1916) in Johnson City, the Atascosa County Courthouse in Jourdanton (1912), and the remodeling of the Dimmit County Courthouse…

Architect:  Frederick Ernst (“F.E.”) Ruffini Year Built: 1886 The “Old” Blanco County Courthouse is located in Blanco, Texas. Completed in 1886, this courthouse only served 4 years. Its predecessor was built in 1860, and its tenure was cut short when in 1890 the Blanco county seat was moved a few miles north to Johnson City…

Architect:  Arthur Giles Year Built: 1909 The Webb County Courthouse is located in downtown Laredo, Texas, not far from the Rio Grande and Mexican border. It was designed by famous architect Alfred Giles, who designed many Texas courthouses. I have handled numerous cases in Webb County courts, and actually conducted my very first jury trial…

Architect: Ben Davey and Bruno Schort Year Built: 1891 The Edwards County Courthouse is located in Rocksprings,Texas in the western part of the Texas Hill Country. Rocksprings is situated on top of Edwards Plateau and got its name from the natural Rock Springs that bubble out of rock crevices in the area. This courthouse has withstood…

Architect: Henry T. Phelps Year Built: 1931 This is the 4th La Salle County Courthouse since the county was created in 1858.  All of them have been built in the same location –in the center and the highest point of Cotulla, facing a public square. This courthouse building was designed by renowned Texas courthouse architect Henry…

Architect: Atlee B. Ayers Year Built: 1912 (cornerstone laid July 25, 1912) This the first and only courthouse that Jim Wells County has had.  It is located in Alice, Texas. As of 2021, the courthouse grounds were in fairly bad shape. Massive oak trees were overgrown, and largely obstructing the view. This is a beautiful…

Architect:  Wyatt C. Hendrick & Co. Year Built: 1949 Yoakum County Courthouse is located in Plains, Texas, which is in the southern part of the Texas panhandle.  It is in far west Texas and borders New Mexico. The City of Plains is 13 miles east of the New Mexico border. This area was once occupied…

  Architect: Puckett & French. Year Built: 1953. The Howard County Courthouse is located in Big Spring, Texas.

Architect: David S. Castle. Year Built: 1938. The Sterling County Courthouse is located in Sterling City, Texas.

Architect: David S. Castle Company. Year Built: 1937. The current Irion County Courthouse is located in Mertzon, Texas. Mertzon has been the County Seat since an election in 1936 moved the seat there. This unimpressive edifice is the second Courthouse to serve Irion County. The first courthouse was built in 1900 and stands just a…

Architect: C.H. Page & Bros. Year Built: 1908. The Hays County Courthouse is located in San Marcos, Texas.      

Architect: Thomas Lovell. Year Built: 1887. The Brewster County Courthouse is located in Alpine, Texas. From the Historical Marker: “Brewster County Courthouse. Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works Project no. 9604 State Historical Survey Committee Texas courthouse building erected in 1887 when Brewster County was created. Served Buchel and Foley Counties until these areas were…

Architect: Martin, Byrne & Johnston. Year Built: 1892. The Medina County Courthouse is located in Hondo, Texas. Erected 1854; First permanent courthouse in Castroville, the first seat (1848 – 1892) of Medina County. When built, structure was on Old Road to San Antonio.  This building took place of temporary office space which county court had…

Architect: L.L. Thurmon & Co. Year Built: 1910. The Jeff Davis County Courthouse is located in Fort Davis, Texas. Designed by the architectural firm of l. L. Thurman and Co. of Dallas, this building was erected in 1910-1911 and replaced the original 1880 adobe courthouse. This concrete and stone Classical Revival edifice, erected by the…

Architect: Henry T. Phelps Year Built: 1906 The Terrell County Courthouse is located in the tiny town of Sanderson, Texas. It was significantly remodeled in 1930 and 1983. Sanderson has a colorful history shaped by the coming and going of the railroad and natural disaster. It is known as the  “Cactus Capitol of Texas.”The following…

Architect: Henry Phelps. Year Built: 1929. The Kimble County Courthouse is located in Junction, Texas. The third courthouse to serve Kimble County, this structure was designed by San Antonio architect Henry Truman Phelps (1871-1944). Between 1904 and the early 1930s, Phelps designed courthouses in more than ten Texas counties. While he based the Kimble County…

Architect: Henry T. Phelps Year Built: 1912. The present Atascosa County Courthouse, constructed in 1912–13, was designed by San Antonio architect Henry T. Phelps. It is located in Jourdanton, Texas. This is the only existing Mission Revival style courthouse in Texas. Characteristics of this style include shaped parapets, pyramidal tile roofs with broad overhangs, balconies…

Architect: Travis Broesche. Year Built: 1939. The Washington County Courthouse is located in Brenham, Texas. This is one of the very first courthouses that I ever practiced in. In the late 1990s I worked for a law firm that had many cases in Washington County.

Architect: B.F. Trester. Year Built: 1890. The Bandera County Courthouse is located in Bandera, Texas.First permanent courthouse for county, which was organized in 1856, but used makeshift quarters for offices and courtrooms until this building was erected 1890-91. Style is local version of the Second Renaissance Revival. White limestone for the structure was quarried locally….

Architect: J.Riely Gordon. Year Built: 1891. The Fayette County Courthouse is located in La Grange, Texas. About 1890, the structural safety of Fayette County’s third courthouse came into question, and plans began for the building of this structure to serve as the seat of justice for the county. The commissioners court hired San Antonio architect…

Architect: Alfred Giles. Year Built: 1894. The Goliad County Courthouse is located in Goliad, Texas. Built 1894. Cost $67,888.95. Limestone and brick from 1870 courthouse were used in this, the fourth one built since county’s creation in 1836. Used as hospital after 1902 cyclone. A 1942 storm tore off central clock tower. Enlarged in 1964….

Architect: J. Riely Gordon. Year Built: 1894. The Gonzales County Courthouse is located in Gonzales, Texas. In county organized 1837, first courthouse burned 1893. This second one was built 1894-1896 at cost of $64,450. Headquarters for many Texas leaders; scene of important court decisions. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark – 1966      

Architect: Alfred Giles. Year Built: 1884. The Wilson County Courthouse is located in Floresville, Texas. Constructed in 1884, this courthouse replaced one built soon after Floresville was chosen Wilson County seat in 1871. Designed by noted San Antonio architect Alfred Giles, this Italianate structure was constructed of bricks made in a local brickyard. It features…

Architect: Henry E.M. Guidon (sometimes credited to Alfred Giles). Year Built: 1894. The Caldwell County Courthouse is located in Lockhart, Texas.The first Caldwell County Courthouse was erected on this site in 1848, when the county was organized and named for Mathew Caldwell, a Texas Ranger and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. It was…

Architect: A.O. Watson (Completed by Eugene Heiner). Year Built: 1897. The DeWitt County Courthouse is located in Cuero, Texas. It is a beautiful building. Unfortunately, it was under restorative construction on the day of my first visit.  The THC Restoration has now been completed, and I will visit again soon and update this page!  

Architect: Eugene T. Heiner. Year Built: 1899. The Lavaca County Courthouse is located in Halletsville, Texas. It is designed in the Romanesque Revival style. Heiner also designed the following Texas Courthouses: Col0rado County Dewitt County Jasper County Old Brazoria County Courthouse