162 Reagan County

162 of 254 Reagan County Courthouse, Big Lake, Texas. County Population: 3,367

Reagan County, Texas

"Reagan County was carved from Tom Green County in 1903 and named for Senator John H. Reagan, the first chairman of the Railroad Commission. Stiles became the first county seat. After constructing two temporary frame courthouses, county officials built a striking two-story white stone building in 1911.
"In 1905 the P. H. Coates family settled in southern Reagan County on the west side of Big Lake. The T. H. Taylor family took up residence on land on the east side of the pond. In 1911 Taylor sold 320 acres of land to the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient of Texas Railway for a station and townsite, which was named for the local landmark and promoted by the railroad.
"In May 1923 the focus of the area economy changed from agriculture to petroleum when the Big Lake oilfield started producing. The discovery opened the Permian Basin and all of West Texas to oil exploration and production. Oil wells located on lands given to the University of Texas in 1876 subsequently became a major source of the institution's endowment.
"Big Lake citizens voted to incorporate on August 15, 1923. In 1925, by which time the population had reached 100 and Big Lake appeared to be the most important town in the county, voters moved the seat of government there from Stiles."
Julia Cauble Smith, "REAGAN COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online

I visited Reagan County and photographed the courthouses in Stiles and Big Lake on Friday, July 27, 2012.

Reagan County Courthouse 1911 (Stiles)

Image courtesy courthousehistory.com

"The Stiles Courthouse was the first substantial courthouse built in Reagan County. The rusticated stone complex, consisting of the courthouse and jail and a separate stone vault, was built on the Public Square in 1911. The four symmetrical facades of the courthouse were a source of pride for Reagan County citizens until the county seat was moved to Big Lake in 1925.
"The new courthouse was built of native stone quarried from a hillside a half a mile from the site.
"... the court awarded the contract to William Martin of Comanche, Texas. Mr. Martin was required to begin work immediately and have the building completed in eight months The new courthouse was finished and inspected by the Commissioners Court on October 25, 1911.
"The courthouse is a square building, 50' long at each elevation. The four facades of the two-story limestone rusticated structure are identical and symmetrically organized in an A-B-A pattern. The center section of the facade consists of a projecting one-story stone portico with arched entranceway." From the National Register narrative

Stiles was the only town in Reagan County when that county was organized in May, 1903. Located on Centralia Draw, Stiles is approximately in the center of the county.

The west facade of the courthouse

The west entrance to the building

The north porch, looking south, through the building

A limestone records vault is located to the east of the main structure. It was originally built to provide fireproof storage for the earlier frame courthouse that occupied the site.

Reagan County Courthouse 1927 (Big Lake)

Image courtesy courthousehistory.com

Photo, circa 1939, courtesy TXDOT

Architect: David S. Castle, Abilene

David Castle had this to say about his architectural practice in Big Lake in a newspaper article dated October 11, 1950:

"Castle says that over half of his business is repeats. 'Take the growing city of Big Lake. We built their courthouse about 20 years ago. Later we designed their high school, then a gym, and later a large elementary school and cafeteria. And their hospital [designed by Castle] has been use by the State Health Department as a model of an outstanding small hospital. Now Big Lake has come back for a nice Baptist Church.' "
The Abilene, Texas, Reporter-News