Historic Shelby County Courthouse
Shelby County is one of the original counties of Texas. We are located in the eastern part of the state bordering what is now called Toledo Bend Lake. This territory was a path for many of the early migrants into Texas from the United States, many of whom settled here temporarily before proceeding westward. It is said that the first permanent settlers settled here in 1818 when the area was still under Spanish rule.
J.J.E. Gibson, a native of Ireland, built the Shelby County Courthouse in 1883-85. This courthouse is today one of the five oldest courthouses in Texas of the original design. The Shelby County courthouse is the only Irish castle style courthouse remaining in the United States.
