Henderson County is named for James Pinckney Henderson, who was the first governor of Texas from 1846 to 1847.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Kaufman County and Van Zandt County
E – Smith County and Cherokee County
S – Anderson County
W – Navarro County and Ellis County
Created: April 26, 1846 
County Seat:
Athens 1846 – present
County Courthouse – Athens
Location: 100 East Tyler Street / Palestine Street
Built: 1913 – 1914
Style: Beaux Arts
Architect: L L Thurmon & Company of Dallas
Contractor: L R Wright & Company of Dallas
Description: The building faces south and is a three story dark red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Athens. The building has wings that project at angles. On the south front and each side are large porticos supported by four high columns with pediment above at the roof line. On the center of the roof is a round black colored dome. In the interior, the courtrooms are located on the second story. The building houses the State District Court, Constitutional County Court, County Court at Law and County Justice Court. The building was renovated in 1986. The architect was Charles F Potter Jr. and the contractor was Athens Steel Building Corporation.
See: The architect, L L Thurmon & Company of Dallas also designed curthouses in Franklin County, Jeff Davis County and Kinney County.
History: The county was created in 1846 and Athens was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was built by John Loop in 1850 and burned in 1855. The second courthouse was a two story frame structure built by William Warenskjold in 1861. The third courthouse was built in 1887. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1913 to 1914 at a cost of $175,000.
County Courthouse – Athens
Photos taken 2010 and 2019