The third Hopkins County Courthouse, built in 1882, was destroyed on Feb. 11, 1894, by a fire that also burned the jail and several nearby structures. Plans were soon made for a new courthouse to be erected on this corner rather than in the middle of the block where the first building stood, an unusual site because most Texas courthouses are located in the center of the public square, not facing it. The new structure was designed by James Riely Gordon (1864-1937), a popular courthouse architect from San Antonio, and constructed by the Dallas firm of Sonnefield and Emmins. Austin architect A. O. Watson was hired to inspect the work; he admired the plans but suggested bracing to strengthen the stonework. The building was completed on Aug. 22, 1895, at a final cost of $75,000. Some citizens requested a clock for the tower, but county commissioners refused to provide funds. Made of red granite with contrasting sandstone trim, the Hopkins County Courthouse is a fine example of the massive Richardsonian Romanesque style that Gordon often used, and its quarter-circular porches at the northwest and southwest corners mark entrances to the three-story building.