Old Hidalgo Still Has the County's Courthouse Story in Brick

The Old Hidalgo County Courthouse shows that the county's civic center used to sit right on the river. The Texas Historical Commission marker says the building served as the county courthouse from 1886 until the county seat moved to Chapin, later renamed Edinburg, in 1908.

The border setting is built into the walls. The marker says the courthouse was made of brick from nearby Reynosa, Mexico, just across the Rio Grande. An early-20th-century fire destroyed its cupola, roof, and second floor, leaving the once-two-story building standing as a single story.

After it stopped hearing cases, the marker says the building later served as an immigration and customs facility. That second life fits the spot: a former county courthouse a stone's throw from an international crossing.