Davis County's first courthouse was a two-story log structure measuring 24 by 40 feet (7.3 m × 12.2 m) and constructed for $339.

By 1869 the county was paying $300 a year in rent, but voters continuously voted down proposals to build a new courthouse.

[3] The Second Empire structure was designed by the Fort Wayne, Indiana architectural firm T.J. Tolan & Sons.

John Lane supervised construction and Larkworthy and Menke of Quincy, Illinois did the stonework.

Over the years it has hosted such events as band concerts, scrap metal drives during World War II, barbecues, and civic rallies.