Cherokee County is named for the Cherokee Native American tribe.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Smith County
E – Rusk County and Nacogdoches County
S – Angelina County
W – Houston County, Anderson County and Henderson County
Created: April 11, 1846 
County Seat:
Rusk 1846 – present
County Courthouse – Rusk
Location: 201 East 6th Street / North Main Street
Built: 1940 – 1941
Style: Art Deco and Moderne
Architect: Gill and Bennett Inc. of Dallas
Contractor: Works Project Administration using local labor
Description: The building faces north and is a three story buff colored cast stone and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Rusk. The north front has a central entrance trimmed with white colored concrete with decorative cast aluminum grates on transoms. The exterior is rusticated stone with cast stone vertical spandrels. The windows are vertical with concrete panels between the floors. The east and west wings are lower than the main central section. The third story has small windows. In the interior are mural along the second story halls. The small courtroom is located on the first story and the main courtroom is located on the second story. The building houses the State District Court, Constitutional County Court, County Court at Law and County Justice Court.
Note: The purchasing agent W A Pearson accepted bids for labor and materials. Arthur Thompson was hired as the head carpenter. Suppliers were:
Austin Brothers of Dallas – structural steel
Boyd Nesler – roofing
Browning-Ferris Machinery Company of Dallas
Cherokee Hardwar Company of Jacksonville
D D Welch Lumber Company of Rusk – lumber
Dezendorf Marble Company of Austin – marble
Ferris Bruce Company of Ferris
Industrial Title Company Inc.
J E Bagley Lumber Company – lumber
Manhattan Terrazzo Brass Strip Company Inc. of New York, NY
Master Builders Company of Cleveland. Ohio
N O Nelson of St, Louis, Missouri – plumbing & heating
Osborne Plumbing Company = plumbing
Peden Iron & Steel
Roten Material Company
S W Nichols Company
Sam R Hill Lumber Company of Tyler – mill work
Samuel A Ellsberry Company of Dallas
Southern Electric Supply Company of Houston – electrical
Texas Quarries, Inc. of Dallas – limestone
Vermont Marble Company
Weaver Incorporated of Dallas – iron, steel & ornamental metal
History: The county was created in 1846 and Rusk was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a log cabin built in 1848. The second courthouse was built in 1859. The third present courthouse was designed by Wesley Clark Dodson of Waco and constructed in 1889. The building was remodeled in 1925 and 1926 and then rebuilt in 1941.
County Courthouse Annex – Rusk
Location: 165 East 6th Street / North Henderson Street
Built: 1952 – 1953
Style: Modern
Architect: Gill & Harrell & Associates
Contractor: Unknown
Description: The building faces south and is a two story stone, brick and concrete structure. The building is located in the center of Rusk to the northeast of the courthouse. The south front of the rectangular shaped building has a central red colored brick framed entrance. The first story is recessed. The windows are horizontal. Stone faces the east and west walls. The roof line is flat.
County Courthouse – Rusk
County Courthouse Annex – Rusk
Photos taken 2010 and 2017