Texas Porch

County history

Anahuac Was Not Always the County Seat

Chambers County was formed in 1858 with Wallisville as its county seat. By 1908, Anahuac supporters won a lawsuit to move the seat there, and the courthouse has been in Anahuac ever since.

Chambers County History & Culture

Chambers County was created in 1858 from parts of Liberty and Jefferson counties. It was named for Thomas Jefferson Chambers, who served as chief justice and surveyor general. The first county seat was Wallisville, near the Trinity River.

By the early 1900s, Anahuac was growing faster than Wallisville. Business leaders pushed to move the county seat. In 1908 Anahuac supporters filed suit and succeeded in making their town the county seat. A courthouse fire in 1875 had already destroyed early records at Wallisville. The current Chambers County Courthouse in Anahuac was built in 1936. It is listed in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas.

The name Anahuac goes back to 1825. Perry's Point — then the main port of entry — was renamed after the ancient Aztec capital. Today Anahuac is a small town on Trinity Bay, about 50 miles east of Houston.

Source to confirm: TSHA Handbook — Chambers County

More Chambers County notes

Property tax

Homestead Exemption Cuts Your School Tax Bill

Texas law requires school districts to subtract $140,000 from the appraised value of your primary home before figuring school taxes — but you must apply at the Chambers County Appraisal District to claim it.

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Property tax system

Two Offices Handle Property Tax in Chambers County

Chambers County has two separate offices for property taxes: the Appraisal District sets your property's value, and the Tax Assessor-Collector sends the bill and collects payment.

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Coastal windstorm insurance

Most Chambers County Homes Need Windstorm Coverage

Chambers County is one of 14 Texas coastal counties where private insurers often will not write windstorm coverage, leaving the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) as the backup option.

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Flood risk

Much of Chambers County Sits in High-Risk Flood Zones

Chambers County is low and flat along the Gulf Coast. Many properties fall in FEMA high-risk flood zones, which can require flood insurance and affect what you can build.

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