Potter County - American Courthouses

Potter County is named for Robert Potter, an early legislator, secretary of the navy for the Republic of Texas and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Moore County

E – Carson County

S – Randall County

W – Oldham County

Created: August 21, 1876

County Seat:

Amarillo 1887 – present

County Courthouse – Amarillo

Location: 500 South Fillmore Street / West 6th Avenue

Built: 1931 – 1932

Style: Art Deco

Architect: William C Townes of Townes, Lightfoot and Funk of Amarillo

Contractor: C S Lambie & Company

Description: The building faces west and is an eight story white colored stone and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Amarillo. The west front of the building has a large stone arch over the three archway entrances. The center section rises seven stories with lower wings on the north and south. The building exhibits stepped massing from its entrance pavilion to the top of the tower, and skillful use of details that include ornamental figural and botanical bas relief, symmetrical pilasters and metal casement windows. The building now houses county offices and courtrooms..

See: The architect, William C Townes of Amarillo also designed the courthouses in Briscoe County, Castro County, Childress County, Hansford County, Hutchinson County, Parmer County and Ward County, and in New Mexico in Colfax County and Quay County.

See: The contractor, C S Lambie & Company, also constructed courthouses in New Mexico in Quaty County, Roosevelt County and Sierra County and in Texas in Childress County, Gregg County, Hutchinson County, Moore County and Ward County.

County District Courts Building – Amarillo

Location: 350 SE 6th Avenue / South Fillmore Street

Built: 2021 – 2024

Style: Modern

Architect: HOK Group Inc.

Contractor: Adolfson & Peterson Construction

Description: The modern building faces north and is a five story structural steel frame and exterior masonry and stone veneer structure. The building is located in the center of Amarillo to the southeast of the Courthouse. The building includes courtrooms, a jury assembly, county offices, courtroom in-custody holding and records storage.

History: The county was created in 1876 and Amarillo was selected as the county seat in 1887 when the county was organized. The first courthouse was a frame structure built in 1887 at a cost of $150. The second courthouse was built by Mays, Hightower and Jackson in 1888 at a cost of $66,000. The third courthouse is a masonry structure constructed by C H Black in 1896 at a cost of $2538 and still stands at Bowie Street and 5th Street. The fourth courthouse was a three story brick structure designed by James E Flander and constructed by Otho Roquemore in 1902 to 1906. The fourth story was constructed in 1915 at a cost of $23,000. The fifth and present courthouse was built in 1931 at a cost of $420,000. The County District Courts Building was constructed in 2021 to 2024.

Note: The 9th Administrative Judicial Region has a main office at Amarillo in Potter County

Other County Courthouses – Amarillo

Amarillo ( Court of Appeals )