Rains County is named for Emory Rains, who was an early legislator and surveyor in the region.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Hunt County and Hopkins County
E – Wood County
S – Van Zandt County
W – Hunt County
Created: June 9, 1870
County Seat:
Emory 1870 – present
County Courthouse – Emory
Location: 100 E Quitman Street / North Texas Street
Built: 1908 – 1909
Style: Beaux Arts
Architect: Andrew J Bryan of Atlanta, Georgia
Contractor: Falls City Construction Company of Louisville, Kentucky
Description: The building faces west and is a two story brown colored brick structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of the city. The building extends outwards with four wings in a Maltese cross shape with the central entrance in the center of the south side. There is a small pediment over the doorway. At the roof line is a large pediment. On the center of the roof is a red colored octagonal dome. The base of the building is crushed brick and clay. The courtroom occupies the entire second story. Alterations were made in 1952, 1959 and 1964. The building was restored in 2006. The architect was Architexas and the contractor was Harris, Walker & Harper, LP.
See: The architect, Andrew J Bryan, designed the courthouses in Alabama in Coffee County, Lee County and Monroe County; in Georgia in Colquitt County, Pulaski County and Stewart County; in Kentucky in Bracken Couinty and Mercer County; in Louisiana in Pointe Coupee Parish; and in Mississippi in Attala County and Simpson County.
See: The contractor Falls City Construction Company of Louisville, Kentucky.
Note: In 1870, the county and county seat were named after Judge Emory Rains who lobbied for the creation of the county. The first courthouse was a log cabin built in 1872 and which burned in 1879. The second courthouse was a two story brick structure designed by John Jones and constructed by Hunsucher & Dunvan in 1884 at a cost of $10,800. And which burned in 1908. The third and present courthouse was constructed at a cost of $35,000 in 1908.
County Courthouse – Emory
Portrait of Judge Emory Rains
Photos taken 2010, 2017 and 2019