Historic Landmark

Waxahachie's 1897 courthouse is one of Texas's most recognized buildings

The Ellis County Courthouse in downtown Waxahachie was completed in 1897, built of red sandstone and granite in a Victorian Romanesque style.

Ellis County History & Culture

The Ellis County Courthouse was designed by architect James Riely Gordon and finished in 1897. It sits on the Waxahachie town square and is built from red sandstone and granite. Gordon designed several Texas county courthouses, and this one is among his most cited works.

The building is still in active use as the county courthouse. Waxahachie also has about 300 structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Victorian architecture of the downtown area earned the city the nickname Gingerbread City.

Source to confirm: TSHA Handbook of Texas — Waxahachie, TX

More Ellis County notes

Property Tax Basics

Two different offices handle your property tax in Ellis County

The Ellis County Appraisal District sets your property value, but a separate Tax Assessor-Collector office sends the bill and collects the money.

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Homestead Exemption

File a homestead exemption to lower your property tax bill

Texas law lets homeowners who live in their home claim a homestead exemption that reduces the taxable value of the property.

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Ag Valuation

Farm and ranch land can be taxed on productivity, not market value

In Ellis County, qualifying farm or ranch land is taxed on what it can produce, not what it could sell for. That can cut the tax bill by a lot.

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Vehicle Registration

Ellis County vehicles need an emissions test every year

Ellis County is in the DFW area, so most gas-powered vehicles must pass an emissions test every year before the owner can renew registration.

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