1. Union County Court House

The original Union County Courthouse, built in 1844 at a cost of $200, stood where Larry’s Rexall Drug Store is today.  As the county seat, El Dorado quickly outgrew even its second courthouse (built on this site in 1848) in the 1920’s due to the oil boom’s voluminous deed and title transactions. 

Faceted in smooth-dressed limestone, the third and current courthouse boasts 40 freestanding ionic exterior columns spanning four stories, and a richly detailed marble two-story atrium with art deco accents.  The exterior medallions of the scales of justice and lanterns of light signify the search for truth.  The building’s largest courtroom features a walnut wainscot, tromphe l’eil painting and scoring on textured plaster walls to resemble stone, and an ornately detailed plaster cast ceiling of gilded rosettes. 

Back when the square was flanked by log cabin structure there was a large duck pond on this site.  Emigrants camped on its banks.  Many pioneer citizens recorded incidents where deer an even bears cam to drink – and hunters would frequently bag their dinner by shooting the wild ducks that lit there in the mid-1800’s.