Smith County | US Courthouses

Smith County is named for James Smith, who was a general during the Texas Revolution.

Created: April 11, 1846

County Seat:

Tyler 1846 – present

County Courthouse – Tyler

Location: 100 North Broadway Avenue / East Erwin Street

Built: 1953 – 1954

Style: Modern

Architect: Thomas Jameson & Merrell and E Davis Wilcox

Contractor: Rambo Construction Company

Description: The building faces west and is a six story concrete, buff colored brick and stone structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of the city. The central section rises six stories with three vertical rows of windows in the center and small windows on the north and south. The north and south wings are two stories with vertical windows. Dark red colored granite frames the west central entrance.

Note: The first courthouse was a log cabin built in 1846. The second courthouse was a log cabin built in 1848. The third courthouse was a two story brick structure built in 1851. The fourth courthouse was s brick structure designed by Thomas Heiner and constructed by E L Clay & W W Kidd in 1876 at a cost of $3,000. The fifth courthouse was a brick and stone structure designed by Charles Henry Page Jr. and constructed by M M Whitney in 1910. The sixth and present courthouse was constructed in 1955 at a cost of $1,500,000.

Other Courthouses / Court of Appeals

Tyler ( Twelfth Court of Appeals )

Courthouses:

N – Wood County and Upshur County

E – Gregg County and Rusk County

S – Cherokee County

W – Henderson County and Van Zandt County