Escambia County is one of the original two formed in 1821. The name reflects the Escambia River. The derivation is unknown but possibly of Native American origin. There was a Spanish mission known as San Cosmo y San Damian d'Escambe. The county seat, Pensacola, actually predates St. Augustine, having been colonized by Tristan de Luna in 1559, but this habitation was not continuous. Again, the origin of the name is obscure.

     The black-and-white photo of the Escambia courthouse is from the state archives and dates from around 1912. This rather grandiose Victorian building was built in 1885 at a cost of $44,000, and demolished in the 1930's.  For a time the county also used the former U. S. Customs House and Post Office, depicted below, also constructed in 1885 but at the far higher cost of $200,000 (suggesting the relative importance of the port of Pensacola).   The modern courthouse dates from 1978.