[1] Construction of the courthouse, which was commissioned to accommodate meetings of the nisi prius court and the quarter sessions, began in 1825.

It was designed by Thomas Rickman in the Neo-Classical style.. Baines' 1825 History and Directory of Lancashire comments that, 'The prison is on a very large scale, but the Court-house, which is inconveniently situated in the centre of the building, is not sufficiently commodious, and at the general session for the county, held by adjournment on 9 September 1824, the sum of ten thousand pounds was voted by magistrates, for the erection of a new court-house and records office, which are to be placed outside the walls of the present gaol'.

[3] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with five bays facing onto Stanley Street; the central section featured a porch with Doric order columns.

As of 3 June 2017 Lancashire County Council's website stated that "Negotiations are underway with a potential new operator.

",[9] but by 16 August 2017 that statement had been removed and the website simply stated "Museum of Lancashire is closed except for pre-booked school visits.