Parker County Courthouse (Texas No. 23)

Back in the 19^th Century, the Texas legislature passed a law stating that an effort should be made to place the county seat of each county to within five miles of the geographic center of the county. The citizens of Weatherford took this as a challenge. Not only is their town in the center of their county but their courthouse is built over the exact center.

This second empire design is built of limestone and was restored in 2005 through the Texas Historical Commission's Courthouse Preservation Program.  This was the fourth courthouse for Parker County, the others having been constructed in 1856, 1858, and 1878.  Typically the first courthouses were simply log cabins or other temporary buildings until a proper structure could be built.  Later courthouses were usually destroyed by fire.  I've yet to find a courthouse in Texas that is the original.  The advent of fire safety in the late 1800s helped preserve many buildings.  Courthouses which were razed were demolished because of termite infestation or rot or simply because they were in such dilapidated condition that it was economically unfeasible to restore them.  The Texas Historical Commission often spends many millions of dollars in each of its restoration projects and all construction must be as close as possible to the original structure.

Weatherford is located 60 miles west of Dallas.
Population of Weatherford:  25,000
Population of Parker County:  117,000