Jasper County Courthouse
Public Sq., Jasper, TXThe Jasper County Courthouse has both architectural and historical significance. While the spatial arrangement and details were typical of the 1880s, the rhythm of the openings is somewhat atypical. The building has been continuously the center of county activities and still serves as the seat of government, an election center, and a general meeting place.
Located in East Texas, Jasper County, one of 23 original counties, was created in 1836 and was organized the same year. East and west boundaries were the Sabine River and the Neches River. In 1824 John Bevil was the first white settler to arrive at the site of the present county seat. He named the county and town he founded after William Jasper, a hero of the American Revolution. In 1846 the county was divided in half from north to south with the eastern section becoming Newton County.
The first courthouse for Jasper County was a two-room log cabin on the site of the present courthouse. In 1849 this shelter burned to the ground.
Three years later, a two-story frame courthouse was built. L.O. Mattingly was the architect and builder. This served until 1889 when work on the temple still in use was commenced.
Bibliography
Jasper County Commissioners' Court Minutes, Office of the County Clerk, Jasper County Courthouse, Vols. A, B.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
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.