Castro County: History and Rural Landscape

In Dimmitt, the Castro County Courthouse tells the story of the county’s architectural and administrative history. It was built in 1939 with funding from the federal Public Works Administration and designed in the Modern Classical style by the Amarillo architectural firm Townes & Funk. In 2026, it became the first property in Castro County to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Architectural history in Dimmitt

Dimmitt’s town square also points to the county’s early history: it was laid out in 1891, the year Castro County was formally established. The Gilbreath-Cowsert House dates to 1909 and is considered a good example of an early 20th-century vernacular residence. Together, the courthouse and the house represent different architectural themes: the Modern Classical style on the one hand, and the residential architecture of its time on the other.

Nazareth: sacred and everyday history

Holy Family Catholic Church in Nazareth was built in 1903. At Holy Family Cemetery, the Jerusalem Oratory offers visitors a place for reflection and information about the cemetery. The church and oratory give the town a religious historical connection; the oratory explicitly combines a place for reflection with information about the cemetery’s history.

Another kind of memory is part of everyday life in Nazareth: from 1905 onward, residents shopped at Home Mercantile for nine decades. The German Sausage Festival is also connected with local traditions. In 2022, Nazareth’s German Sausage Festival featured an arts and crafts show as well as a German sausage meal.

Places of remembrance and regional perspectives

The Castro County Museum houses historic agricultural equipment in two World War II barracks. The barracks were moved here from a prisoner-of-war camp near Hereford, 20 miles away. Former prisoners of war who later revisited the site donated mementos and letters to the museum. This brings agricultural exhibits and personal memories of the camp’s history together in one place.

The prisoner-of-war camp chapel is the only building still standing at the site. It was built by prisoners. Another historical landmark is the Dimmitt Trail Arrow, which recalls the presence of the Comanche and other Indigenous peoples of the Plains before the arrival of settlers.

Landscape and practical information

The rural landscape of Castro County in the Texas Panhandle is shaped by cattle, cotton, and corn. Depending on the season, views range from green pastures of wheat and snow-white cotton to golden-yellow corn, cattle, and horses. The area around Nazareth is considered prairie; apart from trees planted by people, there are few other trees there. Travelers interested in the landscape can include these varied impressions of the agriculture-based region in their trip planning.

Dimmitt Municipal Airport is immediately north of Dimmitt and west of U.S. Highway 385. Dimmitt Splash Park is a 4,000-square-foot community facility that is free to use. Since operating information may change, check it before visiting.

When choosing a hotel, it helps to first decide what you’d like to focus on: architectural history in Dimmitt, sacred and everyday history in Nazareth, or the agriculture-based landscape.

Discover more destinations: Dimmitt, Hart, Dickens County, Coryell County, Hemphill County, Val Verde County, Armstrong County, Dewitt County.

For the broader travel overview: Texas.