The present courthouse is the third to be built on the square. The first was a wooden structure built in the early 1800s that was sold, moved to the present site of the First Baptist Church, and converted into a dwelling. The second building, made of bricks and native clay, was built in 1823 on the site of the old Records building.

With the growth of the community, it became inadequate to house the court, and in 1852, $12,500.00 was appropriated to build a new courthouse. The present structure, made of brick and stucco with the appearance of stone, was completed in 1853. Its architectural style is adapted from the Georgian and shows the influence of Robert Mills, a prominent architect of the period and architect of many South Carolina buildings. P. H. Hammerskold, a well-known Charleston civil engineer and draughtsman, designed the building. Square rusticated pillars support four Doric/Tuscan columns and a pediment. The walls are all of handmade brick, including the gable ends of the building itself and the cornices. Thick stucco on the walls was heavily scored with lines to give the appearance of stone blocks. The use of wrought iron steps and porch railings is a Hammarskjold characteristic. A distinguishing feature of the building is the graceful curving double staircase of intricately filigreed iron with the name of the craftsman, Hayward Bartlett, Baltimore, woven into the scrolls and curlicues decorating each individual step.