Houston County is named for Sam Houston, who was the second and fourth president of the Republic of Texas and the seventh governor of Texas.
Created: June 12, 1837
County Seat:
Crockett 1837 – present
County Courthouse – Crockett
Location: 401 East Houston Avenue / North 4th Street
Built: 1938 – 1939
Style: Moderne
Architect: Blum E Hester
Contractor: Eckert-Fair Construction Company of Dallas
Description: The building faces west and is a three story white colored concrete structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of Courthouse Square in the center of the city. The west front has a large window rising three stories. The north and south sections project from the main building. The center section rises higher than the wings and the roof line is flat. The building was a Work Projects Administration project. The building was renovated in 1976. The architect was Theodore S Maffitt Jr. of Palestine amnd the contractor was W H Spruill of Crockett.
Note: The first courthouse was a log structure designed by John Jacob Erwin and constructed by John Ervin in 1838 which served as a fortress during Indian attacks. The second courthouse was a two story brick structure built in 1851. The third courthouse was a wood structure built by J H Burnet in 1869. The fourth courthouse was designed by Wesley Clark Dobson and constructed by O Peterson in 1883. The building was torn down to allow for the construction of the present courthouse. The cost of construction of the present courthouse was $200,000.
Courthouses:
N – Anderson County
E – Cherokee County and Angelina County
S – Trinity County and Walker County
W – Madison County and Leon County
County Courthouse
Photos taken 2014 and 2017