Runnels County Courthouse was constructed here in 1888-89 after a hotly contested battle with Runnels City for the county seat, after the county had been organized in 1880. The structure stands on one of the largest courthouse squares in Texas, covering two city blocks. The plot had been set aside before the Santa Fe Railroad's townlot sale on June 29, 1886. In 1941, extensive remodeling modernized the building, two wings were added, and the old quarry south of town on the Colorado River was opened to provide matching stone.