076 of 254:  Brooks County Courthouse, Falfurrias, Texas.  County Population:  7,223

Brooks County, Texas

"Brooks County comprises 942 square miles of brushy mesquite land. The elevation ranges from 100 to 400 feet.
"Between the Texas Revolution and the end of the Mexican War, Brooks County lay in the disputed territory between the Rio Grande and the Nueces River.
"After Texas independence the area was made part of San Patricio County. In 1846 San Patricio County was divided to form Nueces County, which in 1848 was divided to form Cameron, Webb, and Starr counties; from the latter two counties Brooks County was later formed.
"Edward C. Lasater, ... moved to the area in the early 1890s and quickly emerged as the dominant figure in the county.
"With the extension of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway from Alice to his ranch in 1904, Lasater founded the town of Falfurrias and subdivided a large portion of his ranchland for sale to farmers.
"In 1911, after several years of effort, Lasater, with the help of State Representative John Abijah Brooks, succeeded in having Brooks County separated from Starr County, with Falfurrias as the county seat. The initial plans were to name the new county Falfurrias County, but in the end it was decided to name it Brooks in honor of John Brooks, who worked diligently for its formation."
Alicia A. Garza, "BROOKS COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online 

I visited Brooks county and photographed the courthouse in Falfurrias on September 24, 2010 and again on September 29, 2016.  

The Brooks County courthouse is located on the west side of the courthouse square, adjacent to US Highway 281

Brooks County Courthouse 1914

"The Brooks County Courthouse cornerstone was laid in 1914. Designed by San Antonio architect Alfred Giles, the building was renovated in the 1980's, but by 1999 the courthouse needed major work. The project was selected to receive a grant for development of the architectural plans in 2002 and received a construction grant award in 2006. Due to the construction of an annex that delayed the project’s start, it was the last Round IV project to be completed in 2010. State funding for the project totaled $3,165,255. The building has been updated with a full sprinkler system, approximately 60 tons of air conditioning, a new electrical distribution system, new slate roof and flashing system matching the original, a new accessible elevator, new restrooms, balcony restoration, fire alarms, new audio/visual equipment, reproduction wood windows and new wood doors to match the original. The courtroom was reduced in size and has now been returned to its original configuration with an open balcony."  Texas Historic Commission

Image courtesy courthousehistory.com

Image courtesy courthousehistory.com

The front facade of the courthouse faces east, onto a large public square

The district courtroom

This, the east facade of the building, is the front of the courthouse. It faces a square.

This is the view, looking east, from the front steps of the courthouse.

The north facade of the courthouse

View from the north facade

The northwest corner of the courthouse. An accessible ramp is located in this area

This is the west facade of the building. It faces US Highway 281. However, this is the back of the courthouse.

The view of US 281 on the west side of the courthouse

The southwest corner of the courthouse

The south facade of the courthouse

The southeast corner of the courthouse

The district courtroom is in the middle of the second floor. The judge is on the south end of the room