When brothers Augustus C. and John K. Allen founded Houston in 1836, they designated this site as the Courthouse Square. In 1837 Huston became the Harrisburg (later Harris) County Seat, and a two-story pine log courthouse was constructed here. The present structure, which was built in 1909-10, served as the fifth Harris County Courthouse at this location. Designed by Charles Erwin Barglebaugh, an associate in the prominent Dallas architectural firm of Lang and Witchell, it features classical revival styling. Outstanding details include the domed roof, ornate central projections, or risalits, with Corinthian columns, and elaborate ornamentation of terra cotta, limestone, and masonry. Building materials include pink Texas granite and light brown St. Louis brick. During construction of the Courthouse, county offices were housed in a nearby theater. Shortly after a new courthouse was built east of the square in 1952, this structure was remodeled for use as the Harris County Civil Courts building. Today the Harris County Courthouse of 1910 serves as a dramatic example of civic architecture and as a symbol of Houston's dynamic growth in the early part of the twentieth century. (1984)
Harris County Courthouse of 1910 (1984)
The roadside stories worth pulling over for.
Harris County Courthouse of 1910 is a historical marker in Houston, Harris County, dedicated in 1984. It is one of 406 historical markers documented in Harris County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 781 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 29.7617, -95.3611 near Houston. The nearest cataloged historic site is First White House of the Republic of Texas (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Sweeney, Coombs & Fredericks Building, Scanlan Building, and State National Bank Building.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5201010679. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
“Harris County Courthouse of 1910” names 2 distinct records in Harris County. This page is the historical marker dedicated in 1984 in Houston. The others:
Get Texas Roam — all 28,000 sites in your pocket
See this site and every marker, cemetery, courthouse, museum and landmark across Texas on one live map — find what's near you, get directions, and check in as you roam.
or open the live map in your browser →Free · ad-free · the iOS app and the web map share one account, so your visits sync across both