The town of Brazoria dates back to 1828 - the year it was platted. It served briefly as the first Capital of the Republic of Texas - since it was the only town with (barely) sufficient accommodations for the legislators.

The county was organized in 1836 and a wooden building was the first courthouse. The artifacts on this page are from the J. Riely Gordon courthouse of 1894. The postcard above shows similarities to Gordon's Ellis, Wise and Fayette County courthouses.

Angleton was Brazoria's rival for the county seat and Angleton had the advantage of having a railroad. The citizens of Brazoria hired J. Riely Gordon to build a courthouse - which cost a reported $90,000. The idea that was - with such a fine, attention-getting courthouse - Brazoria would retain it's status as county seat.

But, in 1896 Angleton was voted in as county seat and the huge courthouse at Brazoria wasn't needed.

Brazoria County became part of the Victoria district when Austin's original San Felipe district was divided in two in 1826. In 1832 the legislature of Coahuila separated Brazoria Municipality from San Felipe and made Brazoria its capital. On March 1, 1835, a meeting near Brazoria led to the establishment of the first Masonic lodge in Texas, Holland Lodge No. 36.

When Stephen F. Austin declared against Santa Anna at a meeting in Brazoria on September 8, 1835, Texans began to prepare for a revolution. Agitation for independence led to the formation of committees of public safety and public meetings to discuss the impending break. After the convention at San Felipe and engagements at Gonzales, Goliad, and Bexar, volunteer companies were organized and a provisional government approved on November 13, 1835. Henry Smith of Brazoria County served as the first provisional governor. Formation of a permanent council soon thereafter brought the inauguration of mail routes throughout the area. Rebellion grew in 1835 and 1836, culminating in the Texas Declaration of Independence.