Texas Courthouses

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Trey-Wilson-Texas-Courthouse-Tour

There are 254 Texas counties, and many counties have more than one courthouse. Like other enthusiasts, I – with wife and dogs in tow – have set out to visit all of the historic Texas courthouses (yes, that’s a thing), and have dedicated this page to posting pictures and videos from our visits.

I have handled cases in many of these courthouses, but cannot choose a favorite. I love so many of them, but am partial to the designs of architects Alfred Giles and James Riely Gordon, both of whom were very active in and around San Antonio in the 1800s. I am also a fan of W.C. Dodson‘s designs, though his style varied significantly throughout his career.

I hope you enjoy experiencing the many architectural styles of these fantastic buildings. I will continue to add pictures to this page as we get the chance to experience “new” courthouses.

NOTES:  

– All photos and videos on this page taken by Trey Wilson.

– This page is best viewed on on a desktop. The alignment and labels may be off when viewed from a mobile device.

– Click on the individual photos to enlarge. Some were taken with Canon cameras, and others with iPhones, so quality may vary.

– I make my living doing something other than taking pictures (practicing real estate law), so feel free to share or republish my photos if you are so inclined. I would appreciate photo attribution to @treywilsonattorneytx.

– I post some of the Courthouse photos I take on Instagram at @TreyWilsonAttorneyTx. Look for #texascourthouse and #countycourthouse to see additional pictures taken by me and other Texas courthouse enthusiasts. Sometimes I post short, cheesy courthouse videos to TikTok under my handle @treywilsonattorneytx.

– Learn about the Texas Historical Commission’s Courthouse Stewardship and Historic Courthouse Preservation Programs.

– A sampling of pictures from my visits to other courthouses, including the United States Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C., will also be posted on this page.  I have labeled the non-Texas, replaced and abandoned courthouses as “BONUS.”

– If you are interested in historical Texas Courthouses, here are some great websites:

The Texas State Historical Association‘s Handbook of Texas is my GO-TO resource for research into the counties I visit.

ABOUT MY TEXAS COURTHOUSE PROJECT
HALFWAY THERE – OCTOBER 2021 – 130 OF 254 COUNTIES VISITED!

Titus County Courthouse (Mount Pleasant)

Year Built: 1940 Architect: Louis Gohmert The Titus County Courthouse is located in Mount Pleasant, Texas. Alas, all four of these courthouses are one and the same building.  The historic 1895 building, designed by F.B. & W.S. Hull, was "modernized" in 1940, clad...

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Wheeler County Courthouse (Wheeler)

Year Built: 1925 Architect: E. H. Eads The Wheeler County Courthouse is located in Wheeler, Texas. Named for Royal T. Wheeler, an early Texas jurist, Wheeler County was created by the Texas State Legislature in 1876. In 1879 the county was organized and Mobeetie (then...

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King County Courthouse (Guthrie)

Year Built: 1982 Architect: T. Renfro The King County Courthouse is located in Guthrie, Texas. Created in 1876, King County organized in 1891. Its first courthouse, a two-story frame structure, was destroyed in 1905 by a tornado. The next house of justice, built of...

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Knox County Courthouse (Benjamin)

Year Built: 1935 Architect: Voelcker & Dickson The Knox County Courthouse is located in Benjamin, Texas. Erected in Benjamin in 1891, when the officials of Knox County were: J.J. Truscott - judge; W.H. Benedict, T.P. Reeder, J.A. Spinks, G.B. Stewart,...

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Lamar County Courthouse (Paris)

Year Built: 1917 Architect: Barry & Smith and Sanguinet & Staats The Lamar County Courthouse is located in Paris, Texas. The March 1916 fire that left downtown Paris in ruins ravaged Lamar County's massive 1897 Romanesque courthouse and tower, once thought...

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Lamb County Courthouse (Littlefield)

Year Built: 1955 Architect: Atcheson & Atkinson The Lamb County Courthouse is located in Littlefield, Texas.   The Lamb County Courthouse: A Modern Monument Rooted in Rural West Texas History If you've ever driven through the windswept High Plains of West...

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Fannin County Courthouse (Bonham)

Year Built: 1889 Architect: W.C. Dodson and Dudley The Fannin County Courthouse is located in Bonham, Texas. Commissioners Court first met at Jacob Black's cabin on Feb. 26, 1836, before Fannin County was officially organized. In 1838 Warren (near present Ambrose in...

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Floyd County Courthouse (Floydada)

Year Built: 1950 Architect: Marvin Stiles The Floyd County Courthouse is located in Floydada, Texas 🏛️ Floyd County Courthouse: Prairie Classicism in the Heart of the Caprock Floydada, Texas — Perched atop the Caprock Escarpment in the South Plains, Floydada is a town...

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Foard County Courthouse (Crowell)

Year Built: 1910 Architect: McDonald Brothers The Foard County Courthouse is located in Crowell, Texas. This is the second courthouse to serve Foard County since its creation in 1891. By 1909, the first courthouse proved too small for the needs of the county, and...

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Franklin County Courthouse (Mount Vernon)

Franklin County Courthouse (Mount Vernon)

Year Built: 1912 Architect: L. L. Thurman The Franklin County Courthouse is located in Mount Vernon, Texas. Mt. Vernon was established in 1849 on land donated by Stephen and Rebecca Keith, and a public square was surveyed in the 24-acre plat. When Franklin County was...

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Gray County Courthouse (Pampa)

Year Built: 1928 Architect: W. R. Kaufman The Gray County Courthouse is located in Pampa, Texas. 🏛️ Gray County Courthouse: Prairie Grandeur in Pampa’s Civic Heart Pampa, Texas — In the wide-open heart of the Texas Panhandle, where oil derricks and wind turbines dot...

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Hardeman County Courthouse (Quanah)

Year Built: 1908 Architect: R. H. Stuckey The Hardeman County Courthouse is located in Quanah, Texas. Hardeman County Courthouse Hardeman County was created in 1858 and named for early Texas legislators Bailey and Thomas Jones Hardeman. It was not organized, however,...

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Hartley County Courthouse (Channing)

Year Built: 1906 Architect: O. G. Rouquemore The Hartley County Courthouse is located in Channing, Texas. Hartley County was created in January 1891, and an election held that year designated the town of Hartley as county seat. A frame courthouse was built on the town...

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Camp County Courthouse (Pittsburg)

Year Built: 1928 Architect: Smith and Praeger The Camp County Courthouse is located in Pittsburg, Texas. The Texas Legislature created Camp County from the northern part of Upshur County in 1874, and voters chose Pittsburg as their county seat. The county built its...

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Carson County Courthouse (Panhandle)

Year Built: 1950 Architect: J.C. Berry, Kerr and Kerr The Carson County Courthouse is located in Panhandle, Texas 🏛️ Carson County Courthouse: Art Deco Authority in the Heart of Panhandle, Texas Panhandle, Texas — The town’s name says it all: this is true Panhandle...

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Castro County Courthouse (Dimmitt)

Year Built: 1939 Architect: Townes & Funk The Castro County Courthouse is located in Dimmitt, Texas. 🏛️ Castro County Courthouse: Art Deco Resilience on the High Plains Dimmitt, Texas — At the intersection of history, agriculture, and architectural ambition sits...

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Childress County Courthouse (Childress)

Year Built: 1939 Architect: Townes & Funk The Childress County Courthouse is located in Childress, Texas. The 1891 courthouse is actually the second Childress County courthouse.  Childress City, the first county seat, was home to a wooden courthouse, built in...

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Cochran County Courthouse (Morton)

Year Built: 1926, 1968 Architect: W. R. Kaufman, Stiles, Roberts and Messersmith The Cochran County Courthouse is located in Morton, Texas. 🏛️ Cochran County Courthouse: Streamlined Justice in the Far West Plains Morton, Texas — Out on the western edge of the Texas...

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Cooke County Courthouse (Gainesville)

Year Built: 1911 Architect: Lang & Witchell The Cooke County Courthouse is located in Gainesville, Texas. Settlement of the area now known as Cooke County began in late 1845. The county was created by the State Legislature in 1848 and named for William G. Cooke,...

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