Oldham County - American Courthouses

Oldham County is named for Williamson Simpson Oldham, a pioneer Texas lawyer and Confederate senator.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Hartley County

E – Potter County

S – Deaf Smith County

W – Quay County, New Mexico

Created: August 21, 1876

County Seat:

Tascosa 1880 – 1915

Vega 1915 – present

County Courthouse – Vega

Location: 105 South Main Avenue / East Main Street

Built: 1914 – 1915

Style: Classical Revival

Architect: O G Roquemore

Contractor: W M Rice Construction Company of Dallas

Description: The building faces west and is a two story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Vega. The west front of the building has two large Ionic columns rising from the entrance steps to the roof line. White colored trim is below the second story windows and forms a narrow horizontal band above the first story windows. In the interior the courtroom is located on the south side of the second story. The building was remodeled in 1967. An addition was constructed in 1986. The architect was John Notestine and the contractor was North Line Construction Company.

See: The contractor, William M Rice, also constructed courthouses as W M Rice Construction Company in Bailey County, Briscoe County, Cochran County, Freestone County, Limestone County, Lipscomb County, Parmer County and Wood County and designed the courthouse in Lynn County..

See: The 9th Administrative Judicial Region has a main office in Amarillo in Potter County.

History: The county was created in 1876 and Tascosa was selected as the county seat in 1880 when the county was organized. The first courthouse was a two story sandstone structure built in Tascosa in 1884 and is still standing. The second and present courthouse was constructed in Vega in 1914 to 1915 at a cost of $35,000.

Old County Courthouse – Tascosa

Location: NE – Julian Bivins Boulevard / Tascosa Trail

Built: 1884

Style: Federal

Architect: Unknown

Contractor: Unknown

Description: The building faces south and is a two story stone and wood structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds of the Boys Ranch. The south front has a one story stone porch. The roof is hipped. The old courtroom was located on the east side of the first story. The building served as the courthouse until 1915 and is now the Juiian Bivins Museum..

Note: The cost of construction was $18,000. The courthouse was the site of many famous trails.