Houston County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Houston County's courthouse in Crockett is a Moderne-style civic building designed in 1938 by Houston architect Blum E. Hester and finished in 1939. It is the fifth courthouse on the town's public square and replaced a brick courthouse from 1883. Funding came partly from a Public Works Administration grant and partly from a $120,000 county bond issue approved by voters. Eckert-Fair Construction Company of Dallas won the building contract. The structure has a concrete frame, brick infill and a veneer of gray marble and Texas limestone, with steel windows and green marble spandrels. Ornament is restrained, limited to incised waves and vertical fluting. Inside, terrazzo floors, travertine and marble wainscots, and oak and walnut woodwork survive. The courthouse is recognized for its role as the center of county government and civic life, and as the county's best example of the Moderne style. It remains in use as the courthouse with few exterior changes.
Significance in brief: It is the fifth and last courthouse on Crockett's public square and has served as the seat of Houston County government. It was built with New Deal Public Works Administration funds. It is described as an excellent and relatively austere example of the Art Moderne style, and the finest example of that style in the county.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 10000248, listed May 10, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 401 E Houston Ave, Crockett |
|---|---|
| County | Houston County |
| Listed | May 10, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000248 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1938-1960 |
| Architect / builder | Hester, Blum E. - Architect; Eckert-Fair Construction Company - Builder |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement: Moderne |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as the county courthouse; the form reports a high degree of integrity with a major renovation in 1975-1976 and repairs in 1995. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.32114, -95.45709 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 10000248.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q107321591
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.