Presidio County Courthouse

The Presidio County Courthouse is a government building in Marfa designed in Second Empire style with Italianate features, rising across five stories. The structure displays a decorative dome, ornamental brackets, and detailed Victorian woodwork inside its rooms.

The courthouse was built in 1886 under architect Alfred Giles during a period of economic growth across the region and growing settlement development. It marks the moment when the area transitioned from scattered outposts to a formal seat of local government.

The building represents the clash between Eastern architectural traditions and the rugged reality of the frontier, visible in the elaborate details that took hold despite its remote location. Visitors notice how the community views this place as the heart of their settlement, not merely as an administrative building but as a symbol of continuity and order in a border region.

The building is open for visitors on weekdays from 9 AM to 4:30 PM, with an elevator available to reach the observation level. Morning hours offer the most peaceful experience, when fewer people are inside and you can explore the spaces more thoroughly.

The Statue of Justice atop the dome lacks its traditional scales, a detail stemming from an incident involving a local cowboy in the 1890s. This incomplete representation tells of wilder times when legal order was less secure than personal power.

Location: Marfa

Inception: 1886

Architects: Alfred Giles

Architectural style: Second Empire style, Italianate architecture

Address: Public Square

GPS coordinates: 30.31333,-104.02222

Latest update: December 14, 2025 11:25