Marion County is named for Francis Marion, who was a general during the American Revolutionary War.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Morris County and Cass County
E – Caddo Parish, Louisiana
S – Harrison County
W – Upshur County
Created: February 8, 1860 
County Seat:
Jefferson 1860 – present
County Courthouse – Jefferson
Location: 102 West Austin Street / South Polk Street
Built: 1912 – 1913
Style: Texas Renaissance and Classical Revival
Architect: Elmer George Withers
Contractor: L R Wright and L O Hitchcock
Description: The building faces northwest and is a two story yellow colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Jefferson. The building has a raised basement with dark brown colored brick. The north front has a large porch with two high white colored columns. The recessed entrance has a small pediment above the doorway. A balustrade runs along the flat roof line. In the interior, the first story has a north-south central hallway. The courtroom is located on the second story. The building houses the State District Court and Constitutional County Court. On the west side is the Murphy County Building.
See: The architect, Elmer George Withers, designed a similar courthouse in Roberts County in western Texas.
Murphy Building – Jefferson
Location: 114 West Austin Street / South Polk Street
Built: 1850’s
Style: Classical Revival
Architect: John C Murphy and James M Murphy
Contractor: John C Murphy and James M Murphy
Description: The building faces northwest and is a two story red colored brick and concrete structure. The rectangular shaped building is located in the center of Jefferson to the southwest of the courthouse. The northwest front has a central entrance and the roof line is flat. The building contains a courtroom.
Note: The building served as the courthouse from 1884 until 1912. The brothers John C Murphy and James M Murphy built this structure as a warehouse in the riverfront district. In 1884 the building was remodeled for county offices and courts. In 1915 it became the City Hall. In 1983, the building became a county office.
History: The county was created in 1860 and Jefferson was selected as the county seat. The county met in various places until the first courthouse was a two story Greek Revival structure designed by Thomas Hinkle and built in 1870 to 1874 outside the town. The building burned in 1837. The second and present courthouse was constructed in 1912 to 1913.
County Courthouse – Jefferson
Muphy Building – Jefferson
Photos taken 2010, 2017 and 2019