Rains County Courthouse (2002)

The community of Emory was once called Springville, part of Wood County. In 1870, the Texas Legislature created Rains County from portions of four other counties. Named for early Texas patriot Emory Rains, the county chose Springville as its center of government, renaming it Emory and choosing an existing public square for the site of the county courthouse. The first courthouse, a temporary log structure, served the county for nearly two years, when a two-room building was constructed. It and all the records housed within it burned in 1879, and the county returned to the log structure until a two-story, red brick courthouse was completed in 1884. It was gutted by fire in 1908, but the steel vault containing county records survived the fire. The Bryan Architectural Company of St. Louis, Missouri was selected to design a new courthouse, built around the steel vault still in its original location. Crushed brick from the 1884 building was used in the foundation. The Falls City Construction Company of Louisville, Kentucky served as builder, and the new facility opened in 1909. The courthouse exhibits a unique cruciform plan with projecting wings. The exterior is of ginger brick, produced at the Fraser Brick Co. in Ginger (3 mi. East); both the town and brick were named for the distinctive clay color. Designed in the Classical Revival style, the structure features pilasters and pediment-capped entries, as well as a central dome, reportedly not part of the original design. The courthouse square has long served as a social gathering place. Notable speakers on the square have included U.S. Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn and former president Lyndon Johnson. The site of community fairs, festivals, celebrations and parades, the square continues to be a focal point for Emory and Rains County. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2002

Rains County Courthouse is a historical marker in Emory, Rains County, dedicated in 2002. It is one of 12 historical markers documented in Rains County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 57 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.8746, -95.7649 near Emory. The nearest cataloged historic site is Rains County Courthouse (courthouse), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Rains County, Rains County Leader, and Amis, James Alexander.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5379013149. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.