Hamilton County | US Courthouses

Hamilton County is named for James Hamilton, who was a South Carolina governor who financed the Texas struggle for independence from Mexico.

Created: June 22,, 1858

County Seat:

Hamilton 1858 – present

County Courthouse – Hamilton

Location: 101 East Main Street / North Bell Street

Built: 1885 – 1886

Style: Second Empire

Architect: William Martin of Mason, Martin, Byrnes & Johnston / E D Williams

Contractor: Tom Lovell of Denton / Lovell, Hood & McLeod

Description: The building faces west and is a three story gray colored limestone structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of Courthouse Square in the center of the city. The west front has a large two story portico supported by eight thin columns. The east side has a similar portico. Behind the extended front are a castle-like tower on each side rising three stories. The windows are arched and there is a mansard roof. In the center of the roof rises a square white colored cupola. The building was expanded and restored in 1931 to 1932 as a Classical Revival style structure. The architect was E M Miles and the contractor was J C Ray & Sons.The building was renovated in 2012. The architect was Komatsu Architecture of Fort Worth and the contractor was RBR Construction Inc. of Weatherford.

See: The contractor, Tom Lovell of Denton, also constructed courthouses in Brazonia County, Brewster County, Coryell County, Denton County, Hardeman County, Hill County, McLennan County and Runnels County.

Note: The original cornerstone, laid in 1886, lists the architect as E D Williams and the builders as Lovell, Hood & McLeod although all sources list Mason, Martin, Byrnes and Johnston as the original architects/builders.

Note: The first courthouse was a frame structure built in 1864. The second courthouse wad a two story rented structure built in 1871 and which burned in 1877. The third courthouse was a two story limestone structure designed by Martin, Byrne & Johnston and constructed by Mason, Martin, Byrne & Johnston in 1878 at a cost of $29,700. The fourth courthouse was constructed at a cost of $30,700 and remodeled in 1931 at a cost of $55,754.

Note: To the north is the Courthouse Annex housed in the old National Bank which was converted in 1975 to house county offices. To the northwest is the old County Jail at 113 Henry Street which is now a museum.

Courthouses:

N – Comanche County and Erath County

E – Bosque County

S – Coryell County and Lampasas County

W – Mills County