Dickens County Courthouse and Jail
Public Sq., Dickens, TXIn the sparsely populated counties of West Texas, the courthouse building was often the dominant architectural feature of the landscape. As such, it became a prime influence on town layout and a focus of social and governmental activities. The Dickens County Courthouse is a typical example of the process and one of the earliest significant buildings in Dickens County. As an integral part of the historic development of the area, it is, therefore, worthy of preservation. It is among the few substantial nineteenth-century masonry buildings still standing.
Dickens County was created in 1876 and named for J. Dickens, a defender of the Alamo. After the organization of the county, the Commissioners' Court met in Dockhum on April 1, 1891, and selected Espuela as the temporary county seat. Located 8 miles below the escarpment of the Llano Estacado, the townsite served as a supply point for an area where the first permanent settlements were dugouts serving as line camps for the Spur, Matador, and Pitchfork Ranches. A store owned by W. R. Stafford was rented by the county for $15.00 a month and served as the county courthouse until the construction of a permanent building in 1893.
On May 9, 1892, the Commissioners' Court met in regular sessions to order the issuance of bonds in the amount of $20,000 for the construction of a courthouse and jail for Dicken's County. Following an advertisement in the Fort Worth Daily Gazette the County Commissioners met on June 13 to consider plans and specifications. The contract was awarded to E.L. Aiken of Hardeman County for a bid of $19,475.00.
On April 1, 1893, the Commissioners voted to receive the new courthouse, "having examined the building in a body and the same having been built according to the plans and specifications heretofore adopted."
The court reserved out of the contract price the sum of $2,500.00 to cover any deficiency in the work such as rewriting the walls, completing the painting, putting in glass, and removing rubbish.
On November 9, 1936, a contract was let to Nugent Construction Company of Spur to remodel the courthouse for the sum of $15,000.00 About 20 feet were added on the east side. A basement was incorporated into the addition for the storage of county records. The central tower was removed and new doors and windows were added. The building was painted inside and out. A new heating system was added replacing the original wood and coal stoves.
On February 20, 1960, a contract was let with the West Texas Utilities Company of Abilene, to add a central heating and cooling system. Storm doors and windows were also installed. The remodeling cost a total of $10,139.34. In July 1962, a new vault was added to the county clerk's office at a cost of $9,720.00.
The Dickens County Courthouse was awarded the Texas State Historical Survey Committee's State Medallion in December 1962 for its 70 years of service.
The Dickens County Jail represents one of the oldest structures in the small West Texas town of Dickens and has served as the county jail since its completion in the early 1890s.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
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.