Texas Courthouses
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:
- 254 Texas Courthouses
- TexasCourthouses.com
- Texas Courthouse Trail
- Texas Escapes
- Texas Association of Counties
- Texas Historic Commission Restored Courthouses
- Architexas Historic Texas Courthouses Projects page
The Texas State Historical Association‘s Handbook of Texas is my GO-TO resource for research into the counties I visit.
Parmer County Courthouse (Farwell)
Year Built: 1916 Architect: C. Risser The Parmer County Courthouse is located in Farwell, Texas. The Parmer County capitol was erected in 1916 in a Texas Renaissance style as designed by C. Risser. Built of brick, the courthouse includes a Roman arched entrance and is...
Aransas County Courthouse (Rockport)
Year Built: 1956 Architect: Lynn A. Evans The Aransas County Courthouse is located in Rockport, Texas. As of this writing, Courts in Aransas County are operating out of rented space in a shopping center (see below). Hurricane Harvey destroyed the 1956 Courthouse in...
Harris County Historic Courthouse
Year Built: 1910 Architect: Charles Erwin Barglebaugh (Lang and Witchell) The Historic 1910 Harris County Courthouse is located in downtown Houston. From the Historical Marker: This site has served as the Courthouse Square for Harris (originally Harrisburg) County...
Zavala County Courthouse (Crystal City)
Year Built: 1970 Architect: Gene P. Hobart Cost: $475,000 The Zavala County Courthouse is located in Crystal City, Texas. It is one of my least favorite Texas Courthouses, and is in poor condition. A new courthouse annex, which will become the new courthouse is under...
Young County Courthouse (Graham)
Year Built: 1932 Architect: Withers & Thompson The Young County Courthouse is located in Graham, Texas. From the 1969 Historical Marker: Young County was organized in 1856 with Belknap designated as county seat. After retreat of frontier troops during Civil War,...
Wood County Courthouse (Quitman)
Year Built: 1925 Architect: C. H. Leinbach The Wood County Courthouse is located in Quitman, Texas. From the 2003 marker text: The Texas Legislature created Wood County in 1850 with Quitman as the county seat. The county first used a log courthouse on the south side...
Wise County Courthouse (Decatur)
Year Built: 1897 Architect: J. Riely Gordon The Wise County Courthouse is located in Decatur, Texas. This is another masterpiece from my favorite courthouse architect, J. Riley Gordon. It has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1976. From the...
Wilbarger County Courthouse (Vernon)
Year Built: 1928 Architect: Voelcker & Dixon The Wilbarger County Courthouse is located in Vernon, Texas. Boasting a Classical Revival style, the Wilbarger County Courthouse was designed by Voelcker and Dixon architects of Wichita Falls, and completed in 1928. The...
Val Verde County Courthouse (Del Rio)
Year Built: 1887 Architect: Jacob Larmour & A.O. Watson The Val Verde County Courthouse is located in Del Rio, Texas. Organized in 1885 from sections of Crockett, Kinney, and Pecos Counties, Val Verde County was named for a Civil War battle in New Mexico which...
Harris County Civil Courthouse (Houston)
Year Built: 2006 Architect: Pierce, Goodwin, Alexander & Linville (PGAL) The Harris County Civil Courthouse is located in Houston. It is a 17 story, 650,000 square foot modern and state-of-the art building. HARRIS COUNTY CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER...
Ector County Courthouse (Odessa)
Year Built: 1964 Architect: Peters and Fields The Ector County Courthouse is located in Odessa, Texas. From the historic marker: Seat of justice for Ector, created out of Tom Green County in 1887 and organized in 1891. The 1891 courthouse was frame, the remodelled...
Denton County Courthouse (Denton)
Year Built: 1896 Architect: W. C. Dodson The Denton County Courthouse is located in Denton, Texas. It is absolutely beautiful and one of my very favorite Texas courthouses. I visited early on a Saturday morning and the grounds were abuzz with activity, including a...
Crosby County Courthouse (Crosbyton)
Year Built: 1914 Architect: M. L. Waller The Crosby County Courthouse is located in Crosbyton, Texas. Text from Historic Marker "Crosby County Courthouses" (1966) Crosby County, created in 1876 and organized 1886, had its first county seat at Estacado (founded 1879 by...
Crane County Courthouse (Crane)
Year Built: 1948 Architect: Groos, Clift & Ball The Crane County Courthouse is located in Crane, Texas. The County is sparsely populated, with less than 5,000 inhabitants as of the 2020 census. The county is oil rich, and has a history as a rough and tumble...
Coleman County Courthouse (Coleman)
Year Built: 1884/1952 (significant remodel) Architect: W.W. Dudley / Wyatt Cephus Hedrick (1952 remodel) The Coleman County Courthouse is located in Coleman, Texas. For a great history of Coleman County, check out this compilation by Ralph Terry. There has only been...
Clay County Courthouse (Henrietta)
Year Built: 1884 Architect: Wilson & Tozer The Clay County Courthouse is located in Henrietta, Texas. From the Application to the National Register of Historic Places: Clay County was organized in 1857 but Indian raids later forced abandonment. In 1872 the county...
Brazoria County Courthouse (Angleton)
Year Built: 1940 Architect: Lamar Cato The Brazoria County Courthouse is located in Angleton, Texas. "Old Brazoria County Courthouse" plaque from the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1983 Angleton's first permanent courthouse was built in 1897, a year after the...
Angelina County Courthouse (Lufkin)
Year Built: 1955 Architect: Wilbur Kent The Angelina County Courthouse is Located in Lufkin, Texas, its county seat. The area that is now Angelina County was originally occupied by agricultural Indians of Caddoan and Atakapan-related stock. The county was named for a...
Comanche County Courthouse (Comanche)
Architect: Wyatt C. Hedrick. Year Built: 1939. The Comanche County Courthouse is located in the City of Comanche, Texas. Funded by the WPA, it is designed in the Moderne style that is common in Texas Courthouses built in the 1930's and 1940's. Architect Hedrick is...
Hunt County Courthouse (Greenville)
Architect: C. H. Page, Jr. Year Built: 1929. The Hunt County Courthouse is located in Greenville, Texas. "Built in 1929 as the seventh Hunt County Courthouse, this building was designed by W. R. Ragsdale & Sons of Greenville and Page Brothers of Austin. The...
Montgomery County Courthouse (Conroe)
Architect: Joseph Finger. Year Built: 1936. The Montgomery County Courthouse is located in Conroe, Texas. The current Montgomery County Courthouse is the 5th to serve the County, but only the 2nd to be constructed in Conroe. Prior to 1889, Montgomery was the county...
Galveston County Old Courthouse (Galveston)
Architect: Tibor Beermann. Year Built: 1966. The Galveston County "Old" Courthouse is located in downtown Galveston, Texas. It is one of many buildings to have served as the County's courthouse since the founding of Galveston. It replaced a Eugene Heiner designed...
Liberty County Courthouse (Liberty)
Year Built: 1931. Architect: Corneil G. Curtis. The Liberty County Courthouse is located in Liberty, Texas. This Modernistic courthouse is distinguished by its raised basement, which sits above grade. Its sides are symmetrical but has a large addition on the east side...
Winkler County Courthouse (Kermit)
Architect: David Castle. Year Built: 1930. The Winkler County Courthouse is located in the West Texas City of Kermit. The courthouse lawn is peaceful, but a large tree obstructs much of the direct view of the courthouse from the front. The architect, David S. Castle,...
Jefferson County Courthouse (Beaumont)
Year Built: 1931. Architect: Fred Stone and Augustin Babin. The Jefferson County Courthouse is located in Beaumont, Texas. The Courthouse is 14 stories tall, and has a striking Arts Deco design with a grand and beautiful entrance that reminded me of the entrance to...
Collin County Historic Courthouse (McKinney)
"The Temple of Justice" Architect: Charles Wheelock. Year Built: 1876. Major renovation in 1927. The Old Collin County Courthouse, affectionately known as the "Temple of Justice" is located in downtown McKinney, Texas. It is presently used as a performing arts center...
Kerr County Courthouse (Kerrville)
Architect: Adams & Adams. Year Built: 1926. The Kerr County Courthouse is presently located in Kerrville, though its location has moved around over the years. I have handled several cases in Kerr County, and find it a pleasant place to work. An excerpt From the...
Van Zandt County Courthouse (Canton)
Architect: Voelcker and Dixon. Year Built: 1937. The Van Zandt County Courthouse is located in Canton, Texas. The following detailed description is taken from the 2017 Texas Historical Commission's application to add the Courthouse to the federal National Register...
Rockwall County Historic Courthouse (Rockwall)
Architect: Voelcker & Dixon. Year Built: 1941. The Rockwall County Historic Courthouse is located in the City of Rockwall, Texas. C0nstruction of the 1941 courthouse to replace the 1893 courthouse was a WPA Project. Rockwall is the smallest Texas County in area,...
Tarrant County Courthouse (Fort Worth)
Architect: Frederick Gunn & Louis Curtiss. Year Built: 1895. The Tarrant County Courthouse is located in Fort Worth, Texas. This magnificent building reminds me of one of my very favorite structures in Texas -- the Texas State Capitol building. Text of the Texas...