This was our Second Courthouse in Texas to visit. That means we are at .8% of our goal with 99.2% left to go. That is two generations of MossoM in front of the Galaxie.
The first Collin County courthouse was part of Jack McGarrah’s general store in Buckner. It opened in 1846 when Collin County was created. Records pertaining to the area during the days of the Republic of Texas are located in Bonham in the Fannin County courthouse. Before the Republic of Texas, records pertaining to the area that became Collin County are recorded in the courthouse in Red River County in Clarksville.
When the county seat was changed to McKinney in 1848, a log structure was built on the McKinney square. William Davis donated land from his survey for a town and for a public square for a courthouse. It was replaced in 1852 with a two-story, wood-frame structure. Before the Civil War, around 1861, this wooden courthouse was moved from the square in order to build larger, stone courthouse. Stone from the quarry at Squeezepenny was piled in the town square.
Because of the Civil War, construction did not begin on a new courthouse until 1872. The resultant courthouse was a two-story, native-stone building of Second Empire design with towers on the east side over the two entrances. Because of the Civil War, construction did not begin on a new courthouse until 1872. The resultant courthouse was a two-story, native-stone building of Second Empire design with towers on the east side over the two entrances. This building was remodeled in 1927 by adding a basement, and a third floor and removing the mansard roof and the tower caps. The new building was Neo-Classical in design. It was called “The Temple of Justice.” This building was abandoned in 1979.