History of the Brown County Court Houses
Three Courthouses and Three Different Locations
A courthouse (sometimes spelled court house) is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government, as was the case for the Brown County courthouse. The following is a history of our courthouse and the journey of its predecessors.
Evolution of our Courthouses
In October of 1858 – A one story log structure was built on the property of Welcome W. Chandler. This first courthouse was a distance of 1 ½ miles East of the present courthouse, on the East side of the Pecan Bayou. The log courthouse was a simple one story log structure and was floored with roughhewn Pecan boards. It also served as the first school house, taught by Prof. A.J. Gallop, the first teacher in Brown County. The location proved unsatisfactory due to scarce water during a drought. A well was dug, but it proved to be too salty.
In March of 1859, the original log structure was moved. It was dismantled and moved an additional two miles southeast to a place on the William Connell land. It was located approximately where the rail road bridge crosses the Pecan Bayou. While reassembling the structure, a second story was added to the courthouse and that addition became the first Masonic Lodge in Brown County.
Between 1867 and 1870, the old log structure was once again moved. The land title and survey proved to be defective. Greenleaf Fisk helped solve this dilemma by donating 100 acres south of the Pecan Bayou and West of the slough for a courthouse and county use. The old log structure was moved from the land of Billy Connell, and to the current courthouse square. It was on the South and East corner of the courthouse square.
In 1880 the old log courthouse was destroyed by fire. The fire was said to have been set by prisoners on the second floor that was used as a jail after it was moved from the Connell location. They were trying to get to the ground floor and escape. Several temporary locations were used after the fire, and before the first stone courthouse were built.
In 1884 the first stone structure was built in the center of the courthouse square. It was an impressive building of 2 1/2 stories and a full basement with an impressive clock tower. Because of a shortage of funds to complete the courthouse, clock movements were never placed in the tower. We are fortunate to have several photos of this magnificent structure.
In 1917 the current brick, three story structure, was built to replace the 1884 courthouse. The 1884 structure was deemed, “too old fashioned.” A bond measure, to build a new courthouse was presented to the tax payers, and was soundly defeated. Not being deterred, the county fathers got a second bond measure passed to “repair” the 1884 structure. The old structure was “repaired” by completely tearing down the old building with the exception of the vault and four interior walls. Effectively, building a new and more modern “Classical Revival” structure, that stands there today.
One hundred years later in 2017, a new structure was built north of the courthouse to house additional county agencies.
If you look closely at the 1884 courthouse photo, you will see workmen at the very top of the structure.
In the photo of the 1917 courthouse, small pecan trees are seen, which are now above the third floor.
Photos: courtesy Brown County Museum of History and Brownwood Public Library.
This and many other stories are available at the Brownwood Public Library – Genealogy & Local History Branch at 213 S. Broadway. Volunteers from the Pecan Valley Genealogical Society are there to assist you in your family or local history research.