Wise County - American Courthouses

Wise County is named for Henry Alexander Wise, who was a United States Congressman from Virginia who supported Texas annexation.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Montague County and Cooke County

E – Denton County

S – Tarrant County and Parker County

W – Jack County

Created: February 1, 1856

County Seat:

Decatur 1856 – present

County Courthouse – Decatur

Location: 101 North Trinity Street / West Walnut Street

Built: 1895 – 1897

Style: Romanesque Revival

Architect: James Riely Gordon of San Antonio

Contractor: John A White

Description: The building faces southwest and is a three story cruciform Texas granite structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Decatur. There is terra cotta used in the friezes, turrets and dormers. A square stone clock tower rises on the center of the roof. There is a winding cast iron staircase in the center of the building. The large courtroom is located on the east side of the second story and the small courtroom is located on the third story. The building was remodeled in 1960.

See: The architect James Riely Gordon of San Antonio, Texas. The courthouse is similar to the cruciform design of the courthouse in Ellis County.

Note: The County Courthouse Annex at 200 North Trinity Street houses the Constitutional County Court and County Court at Law of the 8th Administrative Judicial Region. The building is the County Records Building.

See: The 8th Administrative Judicial Region has a main office in Forth Worth in Tarrant County.

History: The county was created in 1856 and Decatur was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was built on the square in 1861 and burned in 1881. The second courthouse was constructed in 1893 at a cost of $50,000 but burned on January 7, 1895. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1895 to 1897 at a cost of $110,000.