Courthouse Preservation

Texas courthouses are among the most widely recognized assets in our communities and were among the first permanent structures in many counties. But despite being cherished community hubs of civic activity, history, and culture, many historic courthouses have significantly deteriorated and face endangerment due to decades of use combined with substantial levels of deferred maintenance. From the 1950s through the 1990s, many historic courthouses were lost to fire or demolition, which inspired concern for Texas’ distinctive collection of county courthouses.

The Texas Historical Commission’s nationally recognized Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program (THCPP) was established in 1999 by the Legislature to reverse the trend of disrepair and to protect and preserve these important landmarks.

The Courthouse Preservation Program consists of three parts: the grant program; courthouse review and compliance; and courthouse stewardship, and its team consists of a program coordinator, program specialist, and four regional courthouse program reviewers.

The Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program (THCPP) offers up to $10 million in grant-funded planning and construction funding for eligible historic county courthouses across the state. To date, the program has assisted 107 historic county courthouses with over $400 million in grants, including 81 counties with full restoration construction projects and 26 counties with emergency or planning projects. 

Courthouse program reviewers evaluate work on projects funded by THCPP grants that exceeds basic maintenance proposed on "any building that serves or has served as a county courthouse” under the Texas Government Code and under other protections such as preservation easements and historic designations. All courthouses are subject to the review process. For more information about courthouse review and the types of historic designations available for courthouses, visit Courthouse Review and Compliance.

The Texas Historic Courthouse Stewardship Program was established by the Texas Historical Commission in 2006 to train county courthouse stewards through regional workshops across the state and as part of the agency’s annual Real Places conference. Generous funding from the Texas Land Title Association supports the education of county facility managers and other courthouse stewards in best maintenance practices that help preserve historic Texas courthouses.