Lavaca County Courthouse

Fifth structure to serve as seat of justice for Lavaca, created originally as "La Baca", a judicial county, by Congress of Republic of Texas in 1842. Declared unconstitutional along with other judicial counties, it was created anew by first Legislature of State of Texas on April 6, 1846, and organized on July 13, 1846. Earliest courthouse was of logs, and for an interval after that one burned, court was held under a liveoak tree in old town of Petersburg. This is third courthouse on this site since county seat was moved to Hallettsville, 1852. Richardsonian in style, it is of Mineral Wells brown sandstone and has base and trim of Mills County grey stone. Eugene T. Heiner of Houston, noted for his public buildings, was the architect. Contractors A. T. Lucas and C. H. and J. Stadtler erected the structure in 1897-1899. Led by members of Hallettsville Schuetzen Verein, Silver Cornet Band, fire department, Sons of Hermann, and other orders, county dedicated the building July 4, 1899, with Judge P. H. Green giving the main address. Courthouse square was selected by Texas Society of Architects in 1970 for a restoration study. The courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

Lavaca County Courthouse is a historical marker in Hallettsville, Lavaca County, dedicated in 1972. It is one of 96 historical markers documented in Lavaca County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 174 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.4448, -96.9428 near Hallettsville. The nearest cataloged historic site is Galveston, Battle of (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include First National Bank of Hallettsville, Hallettsville, and First Baptist Church of Hallettsville.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5285003050. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.