Refugio County is named for Nuestra Senora del Refugio Mission which was located near the county.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Victoria County and Calhoun County
E – Aransas County
W – Bee County and Goliad County
Created: March 17, 1836 
County Seat:
Refugio 1836 – 1869
St. Mary’s 1869 – 1871
Rockport 1871
Refugio 1871 – present
County Courthouse – Refugio
Location: 800 Commerce Street / East Empressario Street
Built: 1919 – 1920
Style: Texas Renaissance
Architect: Atlee B Ayres of San Antonio
Contractor: W H Borglund
Description: The building faces east and is a three story yellow colored brick structure. The east front has a square brick portico in the center. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Refugio. The base of the building is dark red colored brick. A wide white colored concrete band is along the roof line. An addition was added on the north and south in 1950 which addition is a light yellow colored brick. The architect was Irving H Dunbar and the contractor was Howard Bumbaugh & Company of San Antonio. On the west side of the building is the one story buff colored brick Juvenile Justice Center constructed in 2003. The architect was Dwayne Corbin and the contractor was Kenneth Gillespie.
See: The architect, Atlee B Ayres of San Antonio, also designed courthouses in Cameron County, Jim Wells County and Kleberg County.
Note: The 4th Administrative Judicial Region has a main office at San Antonio in Bexar County.
History: The county was created in 1836 as one of the original 23 counties and Aransas City was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was built. In 1840, the county seat was moved to Refugio and the second courthouse was built in 1840. .The third courthouse was built in 1856. The fourth courthouse was built in 1874. The fifth courthouse was built in 1880 and the sixth and present courthouse was constructed in 1919 to 1920.
County Courthouse – Refugio
County Juvenile Justice Center – Refugio
Photos taken 2006 and 2014