The first courthouse, built in 1850, burned in 1862. For the next 20 years, county business was conducted in various rented spaces downtown. An imposing, Second Empire style courthouse, designed by Neer and LaRomer, was constructed in 1884-1885 on the site of the present courthouse. By 1930, the building had become overcrowded and badly deteriorated and county officials began seeking funding for a new building. It was not until a PWA grant for $90,000 was received in 1935, however, that a new courthouse became a possibility. The new courthouse, an excellent example of the popular Art Deco style with its chevrons and stylistic sculptures, which include eagles surmounted on attached columns flanking the doors, scales symbolizing justice, and figures hold an “all-seeing eye” atop the corner piers, was used for many public works projects during the Great Depression. Designed by architect F. Marion Stokes, construction began in September 1936 and was completed in May 1937.