Loving County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Loving County Courthouse, completed in 1935, is a two-story Moderne building of brown brick and tile in Mentone, Texas. It is the only two-story building in the least populated county in the United States. Its design is nearly devoid of ornament, which the nomination attributes to modernist principles and a wish to keep Depression-era costs low. Subtle setbacks, corbelling and a change from brick on the ground floor to rough-textured tile above keep it from reading as a plain box. Architect and contractor Evan J. Wood of Pecos won the design-and-build contract after county voters approved $25,000 in bonds, and the county accepted the finished building in April 1936. The courthouse housed county offices, the district court and a small jail, and it replaced a temporary vault and house from 1931. Loving County was organized twice, in 1893 and again in 1931 during an oil boom. The courthouse remains the focal point of the community and retains good integrity despite 1970s window and interior changes.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the courthouse is significant under Criterion A in the area of Government at the local level. It is the only two-story building in the least populated county in the United States and the lone symbol of county government. It is also the visual and social focal point of Mentone. It reflects the county's second organization in 1931 during the oil boom.
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 06000362, listed May 10, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Bounded by Pecos St., Collins St., Dallas St., and TX 302, Mentone |
|---|---|
| County | Loving County |
| Listed | May 10, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000362 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1935-1956 |
| Architect / builder | Wood, Evan J. |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement: Moderne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as the county courthouse; windows were replaced and interiors altered in 1977-78, but the building retains a good degree of integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.70845, -103.59926 (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 06000362.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6692602
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.