Limestone County CourthouseCounty Seat: GroesbeckCounty Population: 22,763

The Limestone County Courthouse was erected in 1924 in a Classical Revival style as designed by R. H. Stucky. The county capitol, fashioned of brick, tile, marble and concrete, is located in the county seat of Groesbeck.
The first three courthouses were located in the original county seat of Springfield. County business was initially conducted in a 20 foot by 30 foot wooden structure (1847), followed by a two-story brick building (1856). The third courthouse (1873) eventually burned, along with county records.
In December 1873 residents voted Groesbeck as the new county seat thanks mainly to the Houston and Texas Central, which laid railroad tracks through the town named for railroad official Abraham Groesbeck.
The county leased several buildings before asking W.C. Dodson to design a fireproof capitol constructed of brick and complemented by a slate mansard roof. Faulty workmanship prompted the county to demolish and rebuild the courthouse in 1889, which later burned in 1891, leaving the county to build a new capitol while still paying for the old one.
In 1892 another temple of justice was erected; however structural defects prompted a rebuilding of the courthouse. Limestone County’s final county capitol was completed in 1924 for approximately $200,000.
Located centrally in the area between Houston, Austin and the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, Groesbeck offers all of the necessary amenities to a family while providing the security of a small town. The county’s Web sites describes “The Groesbeck Scene.”
You can drive to work in five minutes or less.
Parents can participate in their children’s school activities during lunch or break.
If your child gets sick on a holiday or weekend, you can call the pharmacist for medicine.
Children can play outside or walk downtown safely.
You can visit with old friends and family when you go grocery shopping.
The people care about each other and willingly help out in any situation.
The area’s rich history is preserved in the many historical sites including Old Fort Parker, the site of the kidnapping of Cynthia Ann Parker, who later became the mother of Quanah Parker, the last Comanche chief.
The Confederate Reunion Grounds provide the location for many countywide activities. Attractions include historic buildings such as the 1872 Heritage House, an 1893 dance pavilion, as well as a Civil War, vintage, steel-barreled Val Verde cannon, two scenic footbridges that span Jack’s Creek, a hiking trail, fishing, and boating/canoeing.
(Texas Almanac 2006-2007)