P
alo Pinto County is named for the Palo Pinto Creek which is the Spanish meaning “painted stick”.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Young County and Jack County
E – Parker County and Hood County
S – Erath County and Eastland County
W – Stephens County and Young County
Created: August 27, 1856 
County Seat:
Palo Pinto 1856 – present
County Courthouse – Palo Pinto
Location: 520 Oak Street / South 5th Avenue
Built: 1939 – 1940
Style: Texas Renaissance
Architect: Preston M Geren and M A Howell
Contractor: Commissioners Court using local labor and trades
Description: The building faces south and is a four story buff-yellow colored sandstone structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of Courthouse Square in the center of the city. The south front has a slightly projecting center section with central arched entrance on the first story. And rising to a pediment at the roof line. The east and west wings project from the main building. The base of the building is course stone. The roof line is flat. This was a Work Projects Administration project. To the south of the courthouse is the old County Jail.
Note: During construction, the Commissioners Court awarded contracts to Carson Plumbing & Heating Company ( plumbing & heating ), E C Beaty ( electricity ), Elliot H Shields ( millwork ), Relience Clay Products Company ( brick ), Mineral Wells Clay Products Company ( tile ), Acme Brick Company ( fire brick & glazed tile ), Big Cjief Lumber Company ( Portland cement ), Fort Worth Structural Steel Company ( lath and iron ) and Simms Hayes Lumber Company ( lime & gypsum plaster ).
See: The 8th Administrative Judicial Region has a main office in Forth Worth in Tarrant County.
Note: The first courthouse was a wood frame structure built in 1857 at a cost of $3000. The second courthouse was constructed by Martin, Byrne & Johnston in 1882 at a cost of $35,000. An addition was constructed in 1906. Sandstone for the buildings was quarried south of the city. The third and present courthouse was constructed at a cost of $250,000.
County Courthouse – Palo Pinto
Old County Jail – Palo Pinto
Photos taken 2014 and 2019