Refugio County Courthouses
N 28° 17.799 W 097° 16.543
14R E 669083 N 3131270
This is one of four Texas historical markers lining the sidewalk going up to the main entrance into the Refugio County Courthouse building at 808 Commerce, Refugio, TX.
Waymark Code: WM10NGV
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 06/02/2019
Views: 6
To find this historical marker without using a GPS system, follow these driving directions:
If traveling from Sinton, TX toward Victoria, TX on US-77, upon entering the City of Refugio, US-77 is called S. Alamo Street. Continue on S. Alamo Street for two blocks until you reach the intersection with E. Empressario Street. Turn right onto E. Empressario and then turn left at the end of the block onto Commerce Street (Yes, it is a quick zig-zag around the block!). Park on either side of the street in front of the Refugio County Courthouse. The marker for is on your right side of the steps when facing the courthouse and is the one closest to the courthouse. The address of the Refugio County Courthouse is 808 Commerce Street, Refugio, TX.
Progression of the five courthouses of Refugio County:
1837 - 1848 = Used the Spanish Mission as needed
1850 = built permanent one story courthouse on the town's central plaza
late 1850s = enlarged first courthouse with a second floor
mid-1870s = built a new courthouse that burned in 1879 but was rebuilt in 1880
1917 = constructed the present (5th) courthouse as the one we see today.
Marker Number: 4233
Marker Text:
The county and city of Refugio are named after the Spanish Mission De Nuestra Señora Del Refugio (the Mission of our Lady of Refuge) established here in 1795. The Spanish mission building served as Refugio County's courthouse at various times from 1837 to 1848.
Construction of a permanent county courthouse began about 1850 here on the town's central plaza, dedicated for municipal buildings when Refugio was a Mexican pueblo (1821-1836). The one-story courthouse, made from shell concrete and cypress lumber, was enlarged to a two-story structure in the late 1850s. A new courthouse, built in the mid-1870s, burned in 1879 and was replaced with a new structure in 1880. The fifth Refugio County Courthouse, designed by San Antonio architect Atlee B. Ayres and built by local contractor W.H. Borglud, was completed at this site in December 1917.
In the 1920s oil and natural gas were discovered in significant quantities throughout Refugio County. The burgeoning oil and gas industries led to an increase in population and business activity in the county, and in the 1950s the county courthouse was expanded with the addition of north and south wings. Refugio County Courthouse continues its traditional role as the county's governmental and judicial center.
Sesquicentennial of Texas Statehood 1845-1995
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Visit Instructions:
Please include a picture in your log. You and your GPS receiver do not need to be in the picture. We encourage additional information about your visit (comments about the surrounding area, how you ended up near the marker, etc.) in the log.