Dimmit County Courthouse

Named for one of the framers of the Texas Declaration of Independence, Dimmit County was created from four other counties in 1858. The county was formally organized in 1880, and Carrizo Springs was chosen as the county seat. On November 12, 1883, the county commissioners court chose noted architect Alfred Giles to design a permanent courthouse for Dimmit County. Later that month, on November 26, the court reversed its decision and selected J. C. Breeding & Sons of San Antonio to act as both architects and builders. Probably working from Giles' initial plans, they erected a structure which featured a double gallery porch. The building's cubical form and Italianate detailing resemble Giles' designs for other Texas courthouses erected about the same time. By the 1920s, the thriving Dimmit County needed a larger government facility. The commissioners court called in Henry T. Phelps to design an expansion. At Phelps' instruction, the San Antonio Construction Company demolished the north second story wall, removing exterior rock from the lower north and south walls and adding new, longer wings on each end. As was his custom, Phelps worked along a Classical Revival plan, requiring a symmetrical façade. He relocated the main entrance to the west side of the building, highlighting it with four massive columns and a recessed porch. The 19th century windows were widened, and Phelps changed the Second Empire roofline to an elaborate cornice. The architectural character of the Dimmit County Courthouse was transformed from a simplified Italianate style of the late 1880s to the restrained Classicism popular in the 1920s. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark-2000

Dimmit County Courthouse is a historical marker in Carrizo Springs, Dimmit County, dedicated in 2000. It is one of 2 historical markers documented in Dimmit County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 5 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 28.5220, -99.8600 near Carrizo Springs. The nearest cataloged historic site is Mt. Hope (cemetery), about 0.9 miles away. Others within a short drive include Las Dos Cruses Cemetery, Catarina Hotel, and Community Cemetery at Valley Wells.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5127012348. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.