Fort Bend County is named for a blockhouse situate on a bend of the Brazos River.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Austin County, Waller County and Harris County
E – Harris County and Brazoria County
S – Brazoria County
W – Wharton County
Created: December 29, 1837 
County Seat:
Richmond 1837 – present
County Courthouse – Richmond
Location: 401 Jackson Street / 4th Street
Built: 1907 – 1908
Style: Beaux Arts
Architect: C H Page and Brother of Austin
Contractor: Texas Building Company of Austin
Description: The building faces north and is a three story buff colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of the Courthouse Square in the center of Richmond. The north front has a central portico with four high columns rising to a header with pediment above at the roof line. The central section on the front, projects from the main building. The first story windows are arched. On the center of the roof is a large green colored dome with cupola and statue at the top. In the interior, the floor plan follows the traditional cross-axial plan with entrances at each of the four sides. There are mosaic tile floors and green colored glazed tile wainscoting. The axial corridors cross in the central rotunda, a vertical, cylindrical space formed by the round masonry bearing walls of the dome above and reinforced by the round openings in the second and third floors. An iron staircase with open filigree rails just off the rotunda connects the floors. The vertical open space of the rotunda, the stairs rising beside the rotunda, and the corridors radiating out from the rotunda create an interior openness and spaciousness. The District Court courtroom was on the second floor with a third floor balcony. An addition was constructed in 1935. The architect was C H Page and Brother and the contractor was Knutson Construction Company. A further addition was constructed in 1957. The architect was Hedrick, Stanby & Lightfoot and the contractor was P G Bell & Company. The building was renovated in 2013. The architect was Bailey Architects and the contractor was Phoenix I Restoration & Construction, Ltd. On the east side is the County Administration Building.
See: The architect, C H Page and Brother of Austin designed other courthouses in Anderson County, Hall County, Hays County, Hunt County, Orange County, Travis County, Trinity County and Williamson County.
County Justice Center – Richmond
Location: 1422 Eugene Heimann Circle / Williams Way
Built: 2009 – 2011
Style: Modern
Architect: Pierce, Goodwin, Alexander & Linville ( PGAL )
Contractor: J E Dunn Construction
Description: The building faces northeast and is a three story buff and red colored brick, glass and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds to the southeast of the center of Richmond. The front has and curved tower rising to a green colored domed roof. At the first story is the entrance with high glass windows above. An arched wall runs in front of the entrance. The windows on the first and second stories are horizontal flanked by small windows. The roof line is flat. In the interior, the entrance lobby rises to the dome with glass windows and a winding staircase. The building houses the State District Court, Constitutional County Court and County Court at Law.
See: The architect, Pierce, Goodwin, Alexander & Linville ( PGAL ) designed courthouses in Florida in Indian River County, in Louisiana in Saint Tammany Parish and in Texas in Collin County and Harris County.
County Administration Building – Richmond
Location: 301 Jackson Street / 4th Street
Built: 1988 – 1989
Style: Modern
Architect: Christopher DiStefano & Associates, Inc.
Contractor: Lebco Contractors, Inc.
Description: The building faces west and is a seven story brown colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Richmond on the east side of the courthouse. The west front has an arched entrance with a high arched window above rising to the top of the building. The center section projects slightly from the main building. The roof line is flat. The building faces the courthouse and was named as the William B Travis Building.
History: The county was created in 1837 and Richmond was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was built in 1842. The second courthouse was built in 1871 to 1872. The third courthouse was a two story structure designed by George Edwin Dickey and built by Benjamin F Trester in 1887. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1907 to 1908 at a cost of $75,000. The County Administration Building was constructed in 1988 to 1989 at a cost of $5,850,000. The County Justice Center was constructed in 2009 to 2011 at a cost of $58,400,000.
County Courthouse – Richmond
County Justice Center – Richmond
County Administration Building – Richmond
Photos taken 2014 and 2017