Washington County Courthouse
Brenham, Washington County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built in 1940 with funds granted by the Public Works Administration. This is the fourth courthouse to serve Washington County since its formation in 1835. Constructed during the tenure of County Judge Sam Low, the massive white limestone courthouse was designed in the art moderne style. Details of that style include the light fixtures and cast aluminum eagles at the entries. The building stands as a symbol of Washington County government.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Completed in 1940 with Public Works Administration funds, this is the fourth courthouse to serve Washington County since the county's formation in 1835. Built during County Judge Sam Low's tenure, the massive white limestone building is a striking example of the art moderne style, down to its light fixtures and cast-aluminum eagles at the entries. It remains the symbolic seat of county government.
Why it matters
The courthouse embodies the New Deal era, when federal public-works programs reshaped civic architecture across small-town America.
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Related people
- · Sam Low
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Washington County, C.S.A.
Brenham, TX
During the Civil War, Washington County was the most populous in Texas and a vital Confederate hub, with a quartermaster depot, factories turning out wagons, kettles, and army ambulances, and one of the state's four government cotton depots in Brenham. Wagons hauled that cotton to Mexico for scarce supplies while troops, stagecoaches, and a pony express carrying war news filled the county seat. Local units fought on every front, and Gen. Jerome Robertson led the famed Hood's Texas Brigade.
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