A Short Tour of the Ellis County Courthouse

The building has four attractive entries. We chose the one on the southeast corner.

Texas has more Courthouses than any other state. There are 225 of them, and 86 are on the National Register, and 78 are Texas Historic Landmarks. Courthouses have always been a symbol of self-government and civic pride. Collectively, the courthouses were viewed as a sign of progress. They serve as the heart of the community and the hub of social activity. The Ellis County Courthouse was no exception to the rule.This is the fourth courthouse to stand on this site, starting with an 1850 log cabin costing $59; then in 1885 a wooden frame structure was built for $1999; then a $40,000 two-story yellow limestone building followed. The most recent—the one pictured here—was accepted in 1897 for approximately $130,000 plus the supervising architect's fee. If that was stated in 2008 dollars, the figure would be very large.

A stairwell dominates the center of the building.

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