Potter County is named for Robert Potter, an early legislator, secretary of the navy for the Republic of Texas and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
Created: August 21, 1876
County Seat:
Amarillo 1887 – present
Old County Courthouse – Amarillo
Location: 500 South Fillmore Street / West 6th Avenue
Built: 1931 – 1932
Style: Art Deco
Architect: William C Townes of Townes, Lightfoot and Funk
Contractor: C S Lambie & Company
Description: The building faces west and is an eight story white colored stone and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of the city. The west front of the building has a large stone arch over the three archway entrances. The center section rises seven stories with lower wings on the north and south. The building now houses county offices and courtrooms..
See: The contractor, C S Lambie & Company, also constructed courthouses in New Mexico in Quaty County, Roosevelt County and Sierra County and in Texas in Childress County, Gregg County, Hutchinson County, Moore County and Ward County.
Note: The first courthouse was a frame structure built in 1887 at a cost of $150. The second courthouse was built by Mays, Hightower and Jackson in 1888 at a cost of $66,000. The third courthouse is a masonry structure constructed by C H Black in 1896 at a cost of $2538 and still stands at Bowie Street and 5th Street. The fourth courthouse was a three story brick structure designed by James E Flander and constructed by Otho Roquemore in 1902 to 1906. The fourth story was constructed in 1915 at a cost of $23,000. The fifth courthouse was built in 1931 at a cost of $420,000.
Other County Courthouses – Amarillo
Amarillo ( Court of Appeals )
Courthouses:
N – Moore County
E – Carson County
S – Randall County
W – Oldham County
Old County Courthouse
Photos taken 2006, 2016 and 2019