Fairfield

City of Fairfield, Freestone County, Texas
Fairfield, the county seat of Freestone County, is at the junction of Interstate Highway 45, U.S. highways 75 and 84, and Farm roads 27, 488, and 1580, in the center of the county. The site was originally called Mound Prairie, but the name was changed to Fairfield when the location was chosen for the county seat in 1850. The original townsite, 100 acres of the Redin Gainer league, was donated by David Hall Love. In 1851–52, 128 lots were auctioned off for prices ranging from six dollars to $101. Rich farmland, vast amounts of timber, clear springs, and proximity to the Trinity River for transportation attracted settlers from the eastern states. Fairfield acquired a post office in 1851 and by September 1852 had three dry-goods stores, two hotels, a grocery, and a jail. A Fairfield Masonic lodge chartered in 1853 was still active in 1989. The first of four courthouses, a small wooden building described as "no better than a pigsty," was built about 1852. New courthouses were built—in 1854–56, at a cost of $8,330; in 1891–92, at a cost of $22,120; and in 1919–21, at a cost of $125,000. In 1891 and 1918 the need for a new courthouse led to county-seat elections in which Fairfield defeated Wortham and Teague, respectively.
Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.
Helen Harrison Courtney | © Texas State Historical Association
Fairfield at a Glance
Belongs to
Fairfield is part of or belongs to the following places.
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Currently Exists
Yes
Place type
Fairfield is classified as a Town
Associated Names
- (Mound Prairie)
- (Mount Pleasant 1)
Locations
-
- Latitude
- 31.71769440
- Longitude
- -96.16612000
Has Post Office
Yes
Is Incorporated
Yes
Photos of Fairfield and surrounding areas

City of Fairfield, Freestone County, Texas
Old Freestone County Jail, Historical Site in Fairfield, the seat of Freestone County, Texas. Photograph by Jim Evans.

Fairfield by the Numbers
Population Counts
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Population Counts
Fairfield
Pop. | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
2,980 | 2019 | Texas Demographic Center |
2,951 | 2010 | Texas Demographic Center |
3,094 | 2000 | Texas Demographic Center |
3,234 | 1990 | Texas Demographic Center |
3,505 | 1980 | Texas Demographic Center |
2,074 | 1970 | Texas Demographic Center |
1,781 | 1960 | Texas Demographic Center |
1,742 | 1950 | Texas Demographic Center |
1,047 | 1940 | Texas Demographic Center |