Brewster County | US Courthouses

Brewster County is named for Henry Percy Brewster, who was a secretary of war for the Republic of Texas and a soldier in the American Civil War.

Created: February 2, 1887

County Seat:

Alpine 1887 – present

County Courthouse – Alpine

Location: 201 West Avenue E / North 7th Street

Built: 1887 – 1888

Style: Classical Revival

Architect: Thomas Lovell

Contractor: Thomas Lovell, J C Bird and Harry Dryden.

Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick and wood structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of the city. The east front has a slightly projecting center section with framed entrance and pediment on the first story. Above are two windows with pediment above at the roof line. There is a similar entrances on the south sides. The windows are arched. The roof is mansard. The courtroom is located on the east side of the second story. The building was restored in 2011. The architect was Page, Southerland, Page and the contractor was W G Yates & Sons Construction. On the west side is the one story red colored brick Courthouse Annex constructed in 1981 with a small Commissioners Room in the north wing and on the northwest side is the old red colored brick jail built in 1888. The jail was remodeled in 1997. The architect was Les Burke Architects and the contractor was Dinosaur Valley Construction and the County of Brewster.

Note: The contractors burned their own bricks for the building in kilns near Ranger canyon. J C Bird burned the lime that made the mortar that held the bricks together. The cost for construction of the first and present courthouse and jail was $27,000.

See: The contractor, Tom ( Thomas ) Lovell of Denton, also constructed courthouses in Brazonia County, Coryell County, Denton County, Hamilton County, Hardeman County, Hill County, McLennan County and Runnels County.