Eastland County is named for William Mosby Eastland, who was a soldier during the Texas Revolution.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Stephens County and Palo Pinto County
E – Erath County
S – Comanche County and Brown County
W – Callahan County
Created: February 1, 1858 
County Seat:
Merriman 1873 – 1875
Eastland 1875 – present
County Courthouse – Eastland
Location: 100 West Main Street / South Seaman Street
Built: 1927 – 1928
Style: Moderne and Art Deco
Architect: Lang and Witchell
Contractor: Christy Dolph Construction Company
Description: The building faces south and is a seven story buff colored brick, stone and concrete structure. The rectangular shaped building is located on the landscaped grounds of the Courthouse Square in the center of Eastland. The north and south sides have three arched entrances on the first and second stories with rectangular projections on the outside of the projecting center section. On the north and south sides, the third to seventh stories are recessed. The first and second stories of the building are faced with stone. The east and west wings are four stories. Details include carved eagles, shields and medallions, pilasters, tripartite arched entryways, and stylized decorative banding. Stone trim runs below the flat roof lines. In the interior, the courtrooms are located in the east wing and on the fourth story of the west wing. In the east wing courtroom, the judge’s bench is inlaid with green colored marble. The building houses the State District Court, Constitutional County Court and County Justice Court. The building houses the Eleventh Court of Appeals.
Note: The Eastland County Courthouse gained widespread fame as the final resting place for “Old Rip,” a celebrated horned toad reputedly liberated from the cornerstone of the prior courthouse.
History: The county was created in 1858 and the county was attached to Palo Pinto County for judicial purposes. In 1873, Merriman ( Flannigan’s Ranch) was selected as the county seat after the county was organized. The first courthouse was the ranch house in 1873. In 1875, the county seat was moved to Eastland. The county met in a stone building across from the town square as the second courthouse. The third courthouse was a two story stone structure designed by James Edward Flanders and built in 1883. The courthouse burned in 1896 and the stone was reused for the jail. The forth courthouse was a three story brick and stone structure designed and constructed by John A White in 1897. The fifth and present courthouse was constructed in 1927 to 1928 at a cost of $313,000.
County Courthouse – Eastland
Photos taken 2014