The Harris County Courthouse has history dating back to 1836. During this year, brothers Augustus C. and John K. Allen founded the city of Houston. When they founded the city, a county seat moved east from Houston to Harrisburg. In 1839 the name was changed to Harris County. There have been a total of five Harris County courthouses sitting on the same plot of land since 1839.
Made up of six stories of neo-classical design, The Harris County Courthouse fills an entire city block. The site it sits on was originally intended by the Allen brothers and has not changed since 1837. The brothers had stated they wanted the city to contain nine miles, having the courthouse in the middle. On the very first map of the city, that is where the courthouse sat.
Over the coming years, the courthouse underwent many renovations. Early on, the courthouse was meant to undergo a Greek Revival renovation, but changes were halted due to the Civil War. At the end of the war, the building was demolished.
During the 1870s and 1880s, the Courthouse Square was a park. In 1878 there was a competition to design a new courthouse. A four-story Victorian Gothic building was constructed. This sat as the courthouse for 25 years before being demolished due to claims it was overcrowded and a fire hazard.
In 1907, a $500,000 bond was approved for new construction of the current courthouse; 15 designs were submitted throughout the U.S. These architectural companies were bidding for the chance to build a new courthouse. After a long battle and a tie-breaking vote, The American Construction Company became the contractors.
The courthouse has undergone many renovations since 1907, but the structure and initial design remains the same. In 1950, a renovation went underway to provide a massive overhaul to the courthouse, removing some of its more historical aspects. Those features have since been restored in an ongoing attempt to bring the courthouse to its originally intended state.
While the historical Harris County Courthouse still does a lot to serve its county, the needs of the county have brought on the growth of other buildings. In 1969, the Family Law Center was built just north of the original courthouse. In 1979, a County Administration Building was built, allowing for more space for administrative work that can be done outside of the courthouse.
More recently, a Criminal Justice Center was built as well as a Civil Courthouse. These additional courthouses help meet the civil needs of the county. In 2011, a Jury Assembly Center was built across the street from the courthouse. This assembly center has an above ground entrance which leads to underground assembly rooms. These rooms connect to a tunnel system which links all of the court buildings in the area.
These expansions to the court system work to meet the needs of the county and host Harris County public records. As years go on more expansions will be made, adjusting and adapting to the ever growing Harris County.