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Archive for the tag “Washington County Courthouse”

30 Apr 2026

Explore Brenham, Texas: A Visitor’s Dream

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April 30, 2026

Welcome to Brenham! This central Texas town sports a population of 17,000 and is the county seat of Washington County, Texas, with some ties to the Texas Revolution of 1836. More on that later.

The Lone Star of Texas points to a statue of a cowboy. Brenham, Texas.

Driving into downtown Brenham seems like entering a village. The small, compact streets are barely wide enough to hold two lanes of traffic in between rows of diagonally parked cars. Brenham is vibrant; its buildings are lined with restaurants, stores, art galleries, coffee shops, bed-and-breakfasts, etc. Many of Brenham’s downtown buildings date to the late 1890s and early 1900s, when ornamentation on business buildings was both good advertising and a matter of civic pride.

Here’s a quick walk around downtown Brenham:

“Must be Heaven” — I ate here, and the restaurant’s name is NOT false advertising!

Many of Brenham’s village buildings had large painted murals on their walls. These made for good photos.

“Baseball Capital of Texas,” and a reference to Blue Bell Creameries here in town.
Blue Bell Ice Cream and the Birthplace of Texas

Just a short drive from Brenham lies Washington-on-the-Brazos, the Birthplace of Texas. On March 2, 1836, fifty-nine delegates gathered there to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence, boldly breaking away from Mexican rule and establishing the Republic of Texas.

Of course, some murals are just about fun.

Some old Texas homes remain among the commercial buildings in the center of town.

The Washington County Courthouse occupies a small square in the center of town. This is a three-story Art Deco building constructed in 1939.

The 1939 Washington County Courthouse in Brenham, Texas
A Brenham/Washington County scene from inside the courthouse — Texas bluebonnets and milk cows.

Brenham and Washington County are located at the center of Texas’s bluebonnet wildflower region. I saw fields of these wildflowers along the roadways outside of town.

Of course, Brenham is best known as the home of the Blue Bell Creameries. Since 1907, this beloved local institution has been crafting what many call “the best ice cream in the world” with the simple motto “We eat all we can, and we sell the rest.” They offer tours. I ended the day by going down to the old creamery to have some ice cream. Ice cream makes everyone happy.

Blue Bell Creameries in Brenham, Texas.

This statue outside the Blue Bell Creamery is also the company’s logo.

Washington County, within the state of Texas

Click here for a list of all TimManBlog American County Seats Series posts.
The photos in this post were taken on April 10, 2018, or April 10, 2019, and are copyrighted by Tim Seibel.

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30 Oct 2022

Greenville, Mississippi, is Feeling the Blues

October 30, 2022
(Photos and memories of October, 2022)

Welcome to Greenville, Mississippi, the heart of the Mississippi Delta and home to the Delta Blues!

The Walnut Street Blues Bar. Greenville, Mississippi.
Lampposts on the streets of Greenville — “Greenville: Heart & Soul of the Delta.”
The view from atop the levee at Greenville, Mississippi.

Walnut Street in Greenville runs along the river levee. Plaques of famous bluesmen have been embedded into the sidewalk, forming a Delta Blues Walk of Fame. I don’t recognize any of their names, but they all seem like colorful characters.

Delta Blues Walk of Fame. Walnut Street, Greenville, Mississippi.

Unfortunately, Walnut Street along the levee can boast only two blues nightspots. Civic leaders are trying to develop the Walnut Street area for more tourism, but they have a lot more work. You could say that Walnut Street is singing the blues…but not in a good way. The Mississippi Delta has strong ties to the Democratic Party, which may explain some of their difficulties.

Greenville office of Representative Bennie Thompson, Democrat representing the Second Congressional District of Mississippi.

Greenville’s two main downtown streets, Main Street and Washington Street, end at Walnut Street and the river levee. In decades past, Washington Street was the town’s main commercial street, while Main Street held church and government buildings.

Washington Street was once a wide downtown street full of shops and shoppers, but that was 50 years ago. The two photos below, taken from nearly the same spot on the town levee, show how commerce has disappeared from Washington Street. The street is just as wide today, but the people have just…left.

Washington Street in 1963
Washington Street in 2022

Some typical storefronts along Washington Street:

Nearly empty Washington Street Greenville at mid-day on a Thursday.

Greenville’s World War II Memorial looks down an empty Washington Street.

The Greenville World War II Memorial, at the end of Washington Street at the levee.

While Washington Street was the commercial center of town, Greenville’s Main Street has most of the churches. These are large and impressive…and not vacant.

(left) Hebrew Union Congregation Temple; (middle) First Baptist Church of Greenville; (right) St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.
These historical signs describe the temple and churches shown above.

To be fair, the Methodists are here too, but their church is actually a block off Main Street.

First Methodist Church of Greenville.

It has always been my opinion that the South boasts the nation’s best cooks, its best warriors, and its best storytellers. The stellar list of Greenville’s writers includes Shelby Foote and Walker Percy, and the proliferation of writers here should surprise no one familiar with Southern culture.

Greenville’s writers.

Greenville is the seat of Washington County, Mississippi. The courthouse is along Washington Street, 5 or 6 blocks east of the downtown blocks. The building was constructed in the Richardson Romanesque style in 1891 of beige limestone blocks. This courthouse may not be as flamboyant as some other Romanesque courthouses, but it has a stately presence.

The Washington County Courthouse was constructed in 1891. Greenville, Mississippi.
Confederate soldiers’ memorial on the grounds of the Washington County Courthouse.
Washington County Courthouse. Greenville, Mississippi.
Map of Washington County within the state of Mississippi

A list of all photo posts from the American County Seats series in TimManBlog can be found here.

All photos were taken by the author on October 6, 2022

My lifetime hobby is traveling to all of America’s county courthouses, and each month I post about a visit to a scenic or interesting county seat. It’s a hobby, and donations are greatly appreciated to help cover my costs.
Thanks,
Tim

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