Hutchinson County Courthouse


Hutchinson County, named for prominent judge and writer Anderson Hutchinson, was one of 54 counties created out of Bexar County in 1876 by the Texas Legislature. It was not until1901, however, that the county courthouse was officially organized. That year a temporary county courthouse was erected in the county seat of Plemons. Contractor E. E. Ackers built a permanent courthouse in Plemons. Stinnett replaced Plemons as Hutchinson County seat in 1926. The county courthouse was temporarily housed in an office building in downtown Stinnett in 1926 before the current courthouse was erected in 1927 at a time of major oil discoveries in the area. Designed by Amarillo architect W. C. Townes and built by local contractor C. S. Lambie & Company, the Spanish Renaissance revival style building also housed the county jail. It features brick construction with cut stone ornamentation, a 3-bay primary façade with grand entry bay, raised basement with end entries, metal sash windows and 2nd floor windows with round-arch stone lintels. Friezes at the east and west entrances of the courthouse depict petroleum, farm and ranch, and cattle industries, historically the three principal commercial enterprises in the area.

Interesting Facts

The interior of the courthouse walls are paneled with gray and white marble. Water fountains on either side of the wide stairway to the second floor are inlaid with multicolor mosaic tiles. The same unique and colorful tile is repeated on each riser in the stairway leading to the wide landing where the stairway separates to reach the second floor.

The floors are terrazzo tiles throughout the large building and in the foyer is a large Texas star.

One unusual feature is the two-storied County Clerk’s office that is located in the northeast corner of the courthouse utilizing the basement as well as the first floor. The whole two-storied office is a vault in which the original architect’s drawings are stored.

The unusually large courthouse has three courtrooms: two District Courts and the Hutchinson County Commissioners Court.

Interesting statistics:

The population of Hutchinson County in 1900 was 303 people.
First birth recorded in Hutchinson County was July 24, 1903.
First death recorded in Hutchinson County was July 24, 1903.
First probate filed in Hutchinson County in 1902.
William “Billy” Dixon was the first Sheriff.
The current courthouse cost $341,880.00 and was built in just over one year.
The first County Judge was W. H. Ingerton 1901 – 1907.

The Plemons Courthouse was built on June 18, 1901 by E. E. Akers and cost $2,670.90.