Brewster County Courthouse and Jail
Courthouse Sq., Alpine, TXThe Brewster County Courthouse and Jail Building, like so many other such complexes in the other counties of Texas, traditionally were and still remain the physical and governmental focal point of the community of Alpine and the larger community of Brewster County. In an age where these traditional seats of government are often demolished or substantially denatured, the Brewster County Courthouse and Jail Building have survived remarkably. They deserve to continue to do so. Both buildings possess historical significance in that they have served as the government seat of Brewster County (the largest of Texas' counties) since their inception in 1887. Architecturally, both buildings dominate the community of Alpine as excellent examples of locally interpreted nineteenth-century styles.
The territory of Brewster County has been under a number of political jurisdictions. Originally considered part of Chihuahua, Mexico, during Spanish and Mexican rule, the area was later attached to Bexar County following Texas independence. From 1848 to 1887 the Brewster County area was under the jurisdiction of Santa Fe County (1848), El Paso County (1849-1871), and Presidio County (1875-1887). When the Presidio County seat was moved from Fort Davis to Marfa, dissatisfaction among residents in this area led to the creation of Brewster County in 1887. Murpheyville, renamed that year as Alpine, became the county seat.
Built in 1887, the Brewster County Courthouse and Jail were the first monuments to the newly organized county and continue to serve in their original capacities. Only a few Texas counties still utilize either their first courthouse or jail. The Brewster County complex also holds the distinction of serving Texas' largest county with an area of 5935 square miles. The county was enlarged to its present size in 1897 when the proposed Buchel and Foley counties were abolished and their territory added to Brewster.
As an architectural entity, the Brewster County Courthouse presents an interesting and rather sophisticated local interpretation of the Second Empire Style. Tom Lovell, the local nineteenth-century contractor and presumed designer showed a substantial comprehension of design, massing, fenestration, and detailing making the Brewster County Courthouse one of the finest buildings in Brewster county.
Although simpler in program and detail than the Brewster County Courthouse, the Brewster County Jail is architecturally interesting for its vigorous, strong detailing and massing. It is an interesting exercise in a quasi "Gothick" fortress-like style (although the window detailing certainly belies this assertion) whose architectural presence enhances the Brewster County Courthouse complex immeasurably.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.