Comanche County | US Courthouses

Comanche County is named for the Comanche Indian tribe that inhabited the region and derives from the Spanish “Camino Ancho” meaning “broad trail”.

Created: January 25, 1856

County Seat:

Cora 1856 – 1859

Comanche 1859 – present

County Courthouse – Comanche

Location: 101 West Central Avenue / Austin Avenue

Built: 1941 – 1942

Style: Art Deco

Architect: Wyatt Hedrick of Fort Worth

Contractor: Tom Pate and E E Gage

Description: The building faces east and is a three story white colored native limestone structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of the city. The building has high narrow windows and the limestone facing was quarried in the area. Heroic sized cut stone eagles accent the north and south entrances. The wings are one story on either side of the central section. This was a Work Projects Administration project. Located behind the courthouse is the Old Cora Courthouse.

See: The architect, Wyatt C Hedrick of Fort Worth also designed courthouses in Austin County, Brazoria County, Coke County, Kaufman County, Kent County, Motley County and Yoakum County.

Note: The first courthouse was built in Cora in 1856. The second courthouse was a two story brick structure designed by Martin V Fleming and built by Martin, Byrne & Johnston in Comanche in 1876 at a cost of $12,000. The third courthouse was a stone structure designed by Lamour and Watson and constructed by Moody & Ellis in 1890 at a cost of $76,000. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed at a cost of $195,000. The native stone was quarried about 6 miles west of Comanche.

Courthouses:

N – Eastland County

E – Erath County

S – Hamilton County and Mills County

W – Brown County