Longview in Gregg County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
The Courthouses of Gregg County
Photographed by Mansfieldphoto.com, December 6, 2025
1. The Courthouses of Gregg County Marker
Gregg County was formed in 1873, and Longview was chosen as county seat. The first temporary courthouse was a small building at the corner of Fredonia and Tyler streets. It soon proved inadequate, however, and another temporary courthouse was set up on the second floor of the 2-story W. G. Northcutt Hardware Store. The only brick building in town, the Northcutt Store was also the only structure to survive a devastating downtown fire in 1877.
The county built a jail in 1874, and levied a special tax to finance construction of a permanent courthouse. Designed by F. E. Ruffini and completed in 1879, the French Second Empire style building featured a mansard roof and a central clock tower. Structural problems were soon evident, however, and by 1896 the building was condemned and demolished. A new red brick Romanesque revival courthouse, designed by Fort Worth architect Marshall R. Sanguinet, was completed on the Square in 1897.
The East Texas oil boom of the 1930s resulted in overwhelming business at the courthouse, and by 1932 the county had replaced the red brick courthouse with a modern art deco building. Enlarged over the years with several additions, it still serves the county.
Erected 1997 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 9941.)
Topics. This historical
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Location. 32° 29.775′ N, 94° 44.335′ W. Marker is in Longview, Texas, in Gregg County. It is at the intersection of East Methvin Street and North Fredonia Street, on the right when traveling west on East Methvin Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 East Methvin Street, Longview TX 75601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Piney Woods. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: O. H. Methvin, Sr. (a few steps from this marker); Gregg County Confederate Soldiers Monument (a few steps from this marker); General John Gregg / Texas Secession Convention (within shouting distance of this marker); "Served With Honor" (within shouting distance of this marker); First Presbyterian Church of Longview (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Banking The Final Ingredient (about 400 feet away); Everett Building (about 400 feet away); F. L. Whaley House (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Longview.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 17, 2015
2. The Courthouses of Gregg County Marker
Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 17, 2015
3. The Courthouses of Gregg County Marker
Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 17, 2015
4. Gregg County Courthouse
Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 17, 2015
5. Marker and Confederate Monument
Credits. This page was last revised on January 24, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 25, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 717 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on January 24, 2026, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on September 25, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
