On November 7, 1876, local residents voted to organize Duval County. Two years later, N.G. Collins, who would later serve in the Texas legislature, arranged the sale of lots 7, 8, and 9 of block 36 in San Diego, owned by E.D. Sidbury, to the county for a courthouse and jail. A $3,700 two-story 31-by-51-foot frame courthouse, sited on the north half of the square, opened in 1879. However, the courthouse was severely damaged in a fire on August 11, 1914. To build a new courthouse, the county purchased the remaining nine lots of block 36. Fort Worth architects Marshall R. Sanguinet & Carl G. Staats, with their partner R.D. Gottlieb, designed a classical revival courthouse for $70,685. The county contracted L.G. Hamilton to build the structure. The courthouse was completed in 1916 under the administration of county judge G.A. Parr. The rectangular tripartite structure features a reddish-brown iron spot brick masonry veneer with a rusticated base and quoined corners. Stone entablature above paired wooden doors highlights monumental entry steps. Exterior ornamentation includes Doric stylized capitals, stone cornice with dentils and medallions at main entry pediment and door hood. In 1938, an annex, attached to the main courthouse with a one-story hyphen, was designed by architects Page & Southerland in a style similar to the original 1916 structure, including matching brick and steel casement windows. The Duval County courthouse has been at the center of the community’s social, civic and cultural life, including political conventions, LULAC meetings, auctions, spelling bees, employment fairs, and shelter following natural disasters. It is also remembered as a centerpiece of the multi-generation parr political machine. The courthouse continues to be a hub of the community and the county. (Recorded Texas Historic Landmark 2011)