Roosevelt County Courthouse

Built in 1938 (Art Deco architecture). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

From the record

“The Roosevelt County Courthouse built in 1938 is an historic Art Deco courthouse located at 100 West 2nd Street in Portales, New Mexico. Merrell of Clovis and built of poured Portland cement.”
Wikipedia article Roosevelt County Courthouse, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 6 National Register listings published here for Roosevelt County · listed in 2008 · category: Building · built in 1938, Art Deco architecture.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
Address. 100 W. 2nd St., Portales, 88130
When was it listed? December 2008
Category. building
Also known as. New Deal in New Mexico MPS
Census division. Portales
When was it built? 1938
Architectural style. Art Deco architecture
National Register reference number. 08001136 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

122 since 1993

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 122 fires within 5 miles of Roosevelt County Courthouse between 1993 and 2020, burning about 17,451 acres in total. 7 started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	84
Debris and open burning	11
Equipment and vehicle use	10
Natural	7
Power generation/transmission/distribution	3
Fireworks	3
Smoking	3
Arson/incendiarism	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
27 September 2011	Natural	197 acres	New Mexico State Forestry Division	MULLINS
19 September 2017	Equipment and vehicle use	2.0 acres	Capitan District	GAVIN
9 August 2015	Equipment and vehicle use	9.0 acres	New Mexico State Forestry Division	236
9 August 1997	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	1.0 acres	New Mexico State Forestry Division	VISAGE
2 August 2015	Natural	5.0 acres	New Mexico State Forestry Division	HALL
4 July 2020	Fireworks	5.5 acres	Capitan District	21-50070037X
4 July 2019	Fireworks	4.0 acres	Capitan District	20-50060027X
30 July 2001	Equipment and vehicle use	5.0 acres	New Mexico State Forestry Division	CORNER

Every fire recorded in Roosevelt County

Mines and quarries near this property

6 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 6 workings within 5 miles of Roosevelt County Courthouse: 6 unknowns. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status
Eastwood Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Materials Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Materials Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Materials Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Materials Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown
Russell Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Unknown

Every working recorded in Roosevelt County

Storms near this property

60 of 123 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Portales, the town this property stands in, in 123 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 74 hail, 27 thunderstorm wind, 17 flash flood, 2 tornado. The reports record 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
July 2004	Lightning	Portales	2 hurt	no account filed
May 1996	Hail	Portales	$720,000	no account filed
August 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	$300,000	no account filed
May 2021	Flash Flood	Portales	$250,000	Slow-moving thunderstorms in the Portales area produced three to four inches of rainfall in a short period of time. This led to flash flooding in the area where a trained spotter reported some roadways were under 2 feet of water. The Portales Fire Department had to perform a water rescue for a family of three which included two children after their car was swept into a drainage ditch. The family was traveling along 18th Street when their car was swept by the flooded waters and pushed into a culvert headed south along S Globe Street. Their car eventually came to a stop against a pipe that was across the culvert. The family was rescued about 45 minutes after the first 911 call, and no injuries were reported. Damages are estimated for the loss of the car as well as rough estimates for water damages to an unknown amount of structures.
June 2012	Hail	Portales	$250,000	Softball size hail reported in Portales.
June 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	$50,000	A CoCoRaHS observer estimated a thunderstorm wind gust near 60 mph from the northwest that resulted in a power outage for several hours. Additionally, over one and a half inches of rain was measured but no hail observed. Numerous downed power lines were reported across Roosevelt County.
August 1996	Hail	Portales	$50,000	no account filed
May 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	$40,000	High winds ripped across the southern Portales area deroofing several barns and downing power poles.
July 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	$30,000	A roof was blown off a building and one wall collapsed at 109 W. 2nd St.
June 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	$30,000	Strong winds destroyed several barns just west of Portales.
June 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	$25,000	A severe thunderstorm tracking southeast through Portales downed several power lines along Commercial Street and along U.S. Highway 70. Damages are estimated for the downed power lines.
June 2003	Tornado (F0)	Portales	$20,000	Damage from possible brief tornado reported east side of Portales.
July 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	$20,000	Several tin roofs were blown off and steel poles bent during a strong storm west of Portales on Highway 267.
July 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	$15,000	There were large tree branches and power lines downed from high winds.
September 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	$15,000	High winds downed power lines and ripped tim off several roofs in Portales.
May 2021	Hail	Portales	$10,000	Several trained spotters in Portales reported hail ranging from the size of quarters to the size of golf balls from a slow-moving severe thunderstorm. Hail accumulations of one to two inches in the area resulted in the collapse of a patio roof at one residence in Portales. Damages are estimated for the destruction of the roof.
August 2013	Flash Flood	Portales	$10,000	Flooding reported around Portales High School. Numerous sandbags and resources deployed to prevent significant residential flooding.
July 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	$10,000	Several trees and large limbs were downed by strong wind gusts in Portales, along U.S. Highway 70.
June 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	$10,000	The windows were blown out of a commercial building. Power lines and poles were blown down.
October 2000	Flash Flood	Portales	$10,000	no account filed
June 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	$5,000	Power pole snapped leading to power outages.
July 2010	Flash Flood	Portales	$5,000	There was 18 inches of standing water on 18th St. in the southern portion of Portales.
July 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	$5,000	Large tree branches were downed all along 18th street.
June 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	$5,000	no account filed
June 1994	Hail	Portales	$5,000	no account filed
July 2013	Hail	Portales	$1,000	A SKYWARN Spotter relayed a report of windows that had been broken out in the Portales area from a severe storm the evening of the 3rd.
May 2011	Hail	Portales	$1,000	State Police reported golf ball sized hail along Highway 70 at mile post 407. The hail broke the windshield of the police car.
May 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	$750	Powerlines down at intersection of Road 7 and T.
April 1993	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	$500	An area of strong thunderstorms moved into Roosevelt County. Strong outflow winds picked up a steel horse corral and dropped it on a kennel about 50 feet away.
August 2025	Hail	Portales	-	Nickel to half-dollar size hail southeast of Clovis.
August 2025	Flash Flood	Portales	-	Flooded roadways around 18th Street and Kilgore Avenue from heavy rainfall.
August 2025	Flash Flood	Portales	-	Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms resulted in flash flooding on numerous streets in Portales. This included 18th Street which was flooded with 6 to 8 inches of water over the road.
July 2024	Flash Flood	Portales	-	Heavy rain from thunderstorms resulted in flash flooding with a depth of 6 inches across parts of Portales. Locations included U.S. 70 and Kilgore Road in northeast Portales and 18th Street near downtown Portales. No reports of any damage from flooding.
September 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	-	Severe thunderstorm wind gusts blew down a large tree branch at NM Highway 206 and Moreland Road, while also knocking out power in the area south of Portales to include the towns of Dora, Pep and Causey.
August 2024	Flash Flood	Portales	-	Intersection flooded and closed at East 3rd Street and Kilgore Avenue.
May 2024	Hail	Portales	-	A severe thunderstorm produced golf ball size hail in Portales. Report was shared by a media outlet in Lubbock, Texas.
May 2024	Hail	Portales	-	Tennis ball to teacup size hail was observed just in Portales from a supercell thunderstorm.
May 2023	Hail	Portales	-	A trained spotter drove through penny sized hail with the first storm to hit the area.
May 2023	Hail	Portales	-	There were three reports of severe hail ranging in size from 1.5 to 1.75 inches in Portales.
May 2021	Hail	Portales	-	A trained spotter in Portales measured 1.25 inch hail from a severe thunderstorm.
May 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	-	A weather station at the Portales airport measured a 74 mph wind gust from a severe thunderstorms. Other trained spotters in Portales estimated wind speeds of 60 to 65 mph.
May 2021	Hail	Portales	-	A trained spotter reported penny size hail from a strong thunderstorm in Portales.
May 2021	Hail	Portales	-	Numerous observers reported large hail ranging from 1 inch to 1.75 inches from a severe thunderstorm near Portales. The thunderstorm also produced torrential rainfall that caused minor street flooding in Portales. Damages are unknown.
May 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Portales	-	A member of the public in Portales estimated 65 mph wind gusts from a severe thunderstorm moving eastward through the area.
June 2020	Hail	Portales	-	Trained spotters in Portales reported large hail in the area ranging from half-dollar to tennis ball sized hail.
March 2019	Funnel Cloud	Portales	-	A funnel cloud was spotted for about five minutes west of Portales.
October 2019	Flash Flood	Portales	-	A thunderstorm with torrential rainfall produced flash flooding around Portales. Most streets and intersections in town were under water with several stalled vehicles. An observer just northwest of Melrose reported a whopping 4.60 of rainfall in less than 24 hours. Fortunately, there were no injuries or rescues with this flooding event.
May 2018	Hail	Portales	-	Nickel size hail in Portales.
September 2017	Heavy Rain	Portales	-	Thunderstorms with torrential rainfall produced 24-hour rainfall amounts between 4 and 5 inches around Portales. An observer two miles southwest of Portales reported 4.04 inches and another spotter 8 miles south-southeast of Portales reported 5.42 inches. Mostly minor flooding occurred however this heavy rainfall set the stage for more significant flooding through early October.
August 2017	Hail	Portales	-	Hail up to the size of quarters accumulated one inch deep. Dense fog developed in the area after the storm passed.
October 2017	Flash Flood	Portales	-	State road 88 closed at Portales due to flooding.
May 2017	Hail	Portales	-	Nickel size hail on the west side of Portales.
May 2016	Hail	Portales	-	Very brief period of quarter size hail at home in Portales.
May 2016	Hail	Portales	-	Quarter size hail near Portales.
May 2015	Hail	Portales	-	Quarter size hail 2 miles northeast of Portales.
May 2015	Hail	Portales	-	Ping pong ball size hail in Portales.
May 2015	Hail	Portales	-	Golf ball size hail in Portales.
May 2015	Hail	Portales	-	Ping pong size hail fell at home near Eastern New Mexico University in Portales.
June 2015	Flash Flood	Portales	-	Intersection of 17th and 18th streets with 3rd and Kilgor flooding. No damage reported.
October 2015	Hail	Portales	-	Pea to quarter size hail.

Every storm recorded in Roosevelt County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

3 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
US Post Office-Portales Main	under 500 feet	1990
Bank of Portales	0.1 miles	1984
Administration Building	0.8 miles	1988

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 08001136 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Roosevelt County	All 6 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.