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. The building houses the Twelfth Court of Appeals.
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.
Courthouses:
N – Wood County and Upshur County
E – Gregg County and Rusk County
S – Cherokee County
W – Henderson County and Van Zandt County
County Courthouse
Photos taken 2010