Kent County Courthouses, Texas. (original) (raw)

The Present Kent County Courthouse - Jayton

Date - 1957
Architect - Wyatt Hedrick
Style - Modern
Location - Hwy 70, Jayton

The Former Kent County Courthouse - Clairemont

Date - 1893
Architect - Martin, Byrnes, and Johnston
Style - Italianate

The 1893 courthouse in Clairemont. "The courthouse was a victim of a fire and the second floor was destroyed."
1939 photo courtesy TXDoT

Photographer's Note:

I had first thought that the community center was probably built from the bricks of the old court house after it was razed, but when you look at the 1939 image you have of the courthouse, it actually appears that they removed the second floor of the courthouse and left the first floor intact. You can tell from pictures that the windows match up perfectly. I did some research on the net today and from what I found, the courthouse was a victim of a fire and the second floor was destroyed. I didn't find anything verifying the date it burnt... -

Erik Whetstone, June 03, 2004

	Kent County Map as drawn by Sidney Porter, aka O. Henry. c.1889 Photo Courtesy Texas General Land Office

Kent County Forum

• I have a history book that was written about Kent County and its people. It states that first Commissioner's Court was held out in the open on November 16, 1892. - Dale McFadin, August 19, 2003

Kent County 1936 Centennial Highway Marker at courthouse grounds
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2009

Centennial Marker Text

KENT COUNTY

Formed from
Young and Bexar territories
created August 21, 1876
organized November 8, 1892

Named in honor of
Andrew Kent
who fell at the Alamo
Clairmont, the county seat, 1892
Jayton, since 1952