[2] Highland County was established in 1805 with special sessions of the courts meeting in New Market.

The structure was built in Hillsboro, the new county seat, and was a two-story brick building with a rectangular footprint.

The red brick structure was originally laid out in a long rectangular plan, but additions on either side were built in 1883.

The front of the building has a central entrance with a transom and fanlight above the large wooden double doors.

A drum rises from the pitched roof and supports a lantern with arched vents and capped by a small dome.