231 of 254 Armstrong County Courthouse, Claude, Texas. County Population: 1,901
Armstrong County, Texas
"Armstrong County, in the central Panhandle on the eastern edge of the Texas High Plains, is bounded on the east by Donley County, on the north by Carson County, on the west by Randall County, and on the south by Swisher and Briscoe counties. It is named for one of several pioneer Texas families named Armstrong, though the sources are unclear about which one.
"Claude, the county seat, is in the north central part of the county thirty miles east of Amarillo. Armstrong County occupies 907 square miles of level plains and canyons. The northern half is generally level, as is the far southwest corner. The rest of the southern half of the county is covered by the great Palo Duro Canyon.
"During 1887 the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway built across the county as it extended its line from Fort Worth across North Texas to New Mexico and Colorado. This provided the local ranchers with improved access to markets and eventually encouraged settlers to enter the area. Homesteaders, intending to raise stock and crops, began to trickle into the county in the late 1880s. They initially settled near the townsites laid out by the railroad: Washburn, Claude, and Goodnight.
"Although the county was marked off from Bexar County in 1876, it remained unorganized until 1890, when the growing population felt the need for a local government. Accordingly, the county was organized in March of that year, with Claude as the county seat."
Donald R. Abbe, "ARMSTRONG COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online
"Claude, the county seat, is in the north central part of the county thirty miles east of Amarillo. Armstrong County occupies 907 square miles of level plains and canyons. The northern half is generally level, as is the far southwest corner. The rest of the southern half of the county is covered by the great Palo Duro Canyon.
"During 1887 the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway built across the county as it extended its line from Fort Worth across North Texas to New Mexico and Colorado. This provided the local ranchers with improved access to markets and eventually encouraged settlers to enter the area. Homesteaders, intending to raise stock and crops, began to trickle into the county in the late 1880s. They initially settled near the townsites laid out by the railroad: Washburn, Claude, and Goodnight.
"Although the county was marked off from Bexar County in 1876, it remained unorganized until 1890, when the growing population felt the need for a local government. Accordingly, the county was organized in March of that year, with Claude as the county seat."
Donald R. Abbe, "ARMSTRONG COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online
I visited Armstrong County and photographed the courthouse in Claude on Tuesday, July 14, 2015 and on May 10, 2016.
Palo Duro Canyon crosses southwestern Armstrong County
Palo Duro Canyon, viewed from the south on Texas 207
The Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River in southwestern Armstrong County
The street grid of the original section of Claude is parallel to the Fort Worth & Denver railroad tracks and US 287.
US Highway 287 crosses Armstrong County
Armstrong County Courthouse 1912
Architect Elmer George Withers. Image courtesy courthousehistory.com
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Photograph, circa 1939, courtesy TXDOT
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The courthouse is centered in the public square. US Highway 287 passes on the north side of the square
View of the courthouse from the northwest
The neoclassical pediments have been stripped of their original ornament and are now clad in stucco
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The cornerstone is located on the west facade, which serves as the front of the courthouse. Withers designed a number of Texas courthouses
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View from the southwest corner of the square
The south facade of the courthouse
View from the southeast corner of the square. The altered pediments make no attempt to match the original design
The east facade. At this level the building exterior is generally original
The east porch and doors
The east pediment. A discouraging alteration of the original design
The lower portion of the north facade, facing US Highway 287
The west porch and doors. The cornerstone is on the right
View from the west doors. A suspended acoustical tile ceiling obscures the original ceiling
The District courtroom is on the second floor
View west on US Highway 287
View of US Highway 287 from the public square
On the east side of the public square
Buildings on the west side of the public square
