The T-shaped two-story brick building was built in 1888, and is a prominent local example of vernacular Italianate architecture.

Its most visible feature is a three-story square tower, which projects for half its width from the main facade, and through which entry to the building is gained.

[1] The courthouse is located on a tree-filled square in the town center, with one- and two-story commercial buildings on the perimeter.

A residence was used for court from 1861 until 1866 while a wood-frame courthouse was built on the south side of the current town square near the corner of Curtis and Sanderson streets.

[4][5] On May 20, 1870, an inmate escaped from the county jail and lit the courthouse on fire overnight in an attempt to destroy his records.

[8] In the early 1900s, the nascent Clay County School District evidently held summer teacher training institutes at the courthouse.

[3] In October 2005 construction began on a 22-acre modern judicial complex 1 mile (1.6 km) west of downtown.

[10] After official county business moved out of the historic courthouse in 2007, its interior was stripped and walls began to deteriorate.

When ceilings were opened for ductwork, it was discovered that the courtroom floor and the building's roof beams were both on the verge of collapse and had to be repaired.