Fayette County is named for the estate of the Marquis de Lafayette in France, which means “the meadow” in French.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Lee County and Washington County
E – Austin County and Colorado County
S – Lavaca County and Gonzales County
W – Caldwell County and Bastrop County
Created: December 14, 1837 
County Seat:
La Grange 1838 – present
County Courthouse – La Grange
Location: 151 North Washington Street / West Travis Street
Built: 1890 – 1891
Style: Romanesque Revival
Architect: James Riely Gordon of San Antonio
Contractor: Martin, Byrne & Johnston
Description: The building faces north and is a three story course gray colored stone structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of the Courthouse Square in the center of La Grange. The exterior walls are Belton limestone complemented with blue sandstone quarried at nearby Muldoon. Red Pecos sandstone form the horizontal moldings, and there are pink Burnet granite columns and steps. At the base of the clock tower is a large stone slab on which is carved a large American eagle. Above the arched entrance rises the square stone tower with clock and carved griffins on each corner. The roof is covered with Spanish tile. In the interior, all offices and the courtroom are arranged around a 30 foot by 30 foot square central courtyard. The courtyard has black and white colored tiles and a fountain at the center. High above the courtyard is a large skylight. The courtroom is located on the second story and is 85 feet by 42 feet. The courtroom is shaped like a half moon with a gallery which has a seating capacity of 500 persons. The building houses the State District Court. The building was restored in 2004. The architect was Volz & Associates, Inc. and the contractor was C P Snider Construction Company, Inc. To the south is the Old County Jail and on the north side is the County Clerk’s Office which houses the Constitutional County Court.
See: The architect James Riely Gordon of San Antonio, Texas
See: National Register of Historic Places – Fayette County Courthouse and Jail
History: The county was created in 1837 and La Grange was selected as the county seat in 1838. The first courthouse was built in La Grange in 1838. The second courthouse was a two story frame structure built by P C Beale in 1847. The third courthouse was two story masonry structure designed by Carl Wilhelm von Rosenburg and constructed by H L Kreische in 1857. The fifth and present courthouse was constructed at a cost of $87,356.
Precinct Courthouse – Fayetteville
Location: Washington Street / Main Street
Built: 1880
Style: Wood Frame Victorian
Architect: Local citizens
Contractor: Local citizens
Description: The building faces southwest and is a two story white colored wood frame structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Fayettevilleand was built as a precinct courthouses. The building is square shaped. The walls are cedar boards and the windows are original poured sheet glass. A utilitarian staircase leads to the two jail cells built in 1887 and the clock tower.
Note: The cost of construction was $800 with most of the cost being raised from the local citizens. The clock was donated by a ladies’ club in 1934.
Precinct Courthouse – Round Top
Location: Washington Street / Main Street
Built: 1880
Style: Wood Frame
Architect: Unknown
Contractor: Unknown
Description: The building faces northwest is a two story white colored wood frame structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Round Top and is square shaped and is located on landscaped grounds. The red colored hipped rood has a square cupola at the center. The building is a replica of the original courthouse.
County Courthouse – La Grange
Precinct Courthouse – Fayetteville
Precinct Courthouse – Round Top
Photos taken 2006, 2014 and 2017