Old Blanco County Courthouse - Blanco Historic District - Blanco, TX - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

The Old Blanco County Courthouse was constructed in 1886 as the first permanent courthouse for Blanco County (established 1858). This site was the third location for courthouse facilities with the former two being rented buildings on the square. It served as the center of government only four years before county residents voted to relocate to Johnson City in 1890.

Following the relocation, the courthouse was privately owned and a served a variety of uses. From 1893 to 1901 and again in 1919, it provided space for the public school. The courthouse also served as the original location of the Blanco National Bank and housed a Federal Farm Loan Bank, professional offices, barber shop, and newspaper. It was used by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the construction of the Blanco State Park. Intermittently from 1936 to 1970, it housed medical facilities serving as the birthplace of many current Blanco residents. During the 1970s is was briefly used as a museum and a restaurant. The sale of the building in 1986 to an area rancher with the intention of moving it to his ranch in the northern part of the county, resulted in the formation of the Old Blanco County Courthouse Preservation Society. This organization conducted fund raisers, sought statewide publicity on the property, and in 1991, successfully managed to purchase the property back and to begin its restoration.