County Seat: Greenville • County Population: 86,129 (2010 census)
The Hunt County Courthouse was built in 1929 in a Moderne style as designed by C.H. Page Jr. and Brothers. The brick and stone structure, boasting Classical columns extending from its lower floors, cost the county some $400,000, including furniture.
Hunt County was created in 1846 by the first Texas Legislature and named for Memucan Hunt, the secretary of the U.S. Navy. The county seat of Greenville honors Gen. Thomas Green.
Depending on the history book, Hunt County has housed either six or seven county capitols, with the first dated 1847. This inaugural home of county government was a log structure, some 20 feet by 20 feet, built just west of the square. According to June Rayfield Welch, author of “The Texas Courthouse Revisited,” the subsequent county courthouses lined up as follows:
- a temporary plank building erected in 1853;
- the county’s first brick capitol raised in the center of the square in 1859;
- the Methodist church on Lee Street (a fill-in due to the condemnation of the previous county capitol)
- another brick courthouse completed in 1881, only to burn three years later in a fire that scorched most of the neighborhood;
- a duplicate brick structure completed in 1885; and
- the final temple of justice and the current home of county government, raised in 1929.
Hunt County is home to Texas A&M University – Commerce, Lake Tawakoni State Park, Paris Junior College campus, and historic downtown Greenville. Nestled conveniently close to the DFW Metroplex while maintaining East Texas culture and charm,HuntCountyoffers visitors the opportunity to explore country life without venturing too far from the conveniences of the city.
As the birthplace of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of World War II and a celebrated actor, Hunt County is host to the Audie Murphy American Cotton Museum. The museum offers a wide variety of historical exhibits, as well as movie nights and special guest speakers.
The Northeast Texas Children’s Museum in Commerce features interactive play, educational displays, activities that inspire the imagination, and special events such as father-daughter dances.
Live entertainment is offered at a number of venues including the Threadgill Concert Series, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra at the Greenville Municipal Auditorium. Those who prefer live theater are invited to visit the arts department at the Texas A&M – Commerce campus, host to regular plays and musicals put on by the university’s aspiring art majors.
Industry abounds in Hunt County with large industrial employers, municipal airports, and innovatively progressive local governments.
COUNTY JUDGE
John Horn
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Precinct 1
Kenneth Thornton
Precinct 2
Jay Atkins
Precinct 3
Larry Middlebrooks
Precinct 4
Jim Latham