San Augustine County Courthouse and Jail
Why it's listed
Courthouse Square in San Augustine, Texas, occupies a block reserved when the town was platted in 1833. It holds the county's fourth courthouse, a three-story limestone Classical Revival building completed in 1928 and designed by Lufkin architect Shirley Simons, with Campbell and White as contractors. Restrained classical ornament, recessed window bays and a stepped parapet give it a simplified, stripped classical look. East of the courthouse stands the 1919 two-story jail, originally red and buff brick and later stuccoed, which served until 2000 and now houses offices. A bronze statue of James Pinckney Henderson, first governor of Texas, was placed in front of the courthouse for the 1936 Texas Centennial. The square was listed for its role in local government and for its architecture. Community memorials and the garden club's care of the grounds show its continuing importance to residents. Despite replaced doors, windows and roofing, the buildings retain their original form and setting.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the square has been the physical and symbolic center of San Augustine County since the town was platted in 1833. It qualifies under Criterion A for Politics/Government and Criterion C for Architecture, at the local level. The courthouse, designed by Shirley Simons, shows restrained Classical Revival design with stripped classical influences.
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 04000892, listed August 20, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Courthouse Sq., San Augustine |
|---|---|
| County | San Augustine County |
| Listed | August 20, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000892 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1909-1954 |
| Architect / builder | Shirley Simons, Architect, Campbell and White Builder |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The courthouse remains in use as the county courthouse and government offices. The jail closed in 2000 and now houses probation department offices. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | San Augustine Residential Historic District |
| Coordinates | 31.52990, -94.11122 (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 04000892.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7413387
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.