[3] The first Jasper County Courthouse was a one story brick building built in 1842 by Levi H. Jenkins for $398.50.

The Courthouse briefly served as a hospital during the American Civil War, but was burned down during the Battle of Carthage.

[4] For the next 30 years, Jasper County Courts moved to a variety of locations including a school, a remodeled jail, an opera house, and a Baptist church.

As a member of county government, she exerted a significant degree of influence in the planning of the building,[6] and she is memorialized on the grounds.

[7] As originally built, the Jasper County Courthouse had a black clock face, but was eventually painted white in the 1950's.