The town was founded in 1837, but there are no commercial structures that remain from the pre-American Civil War era.

[2] The district is centered on the Tippah County Courthouse, the historic and symbolic central building in the city, which was built in 1928.

The courthouse is surrounded by several blocks of commercial buildings, which primarily extend to the north, south, and west and were mostly built between 1910 and 1940.

The district also includes the former Tippah County Jail, an Art Moderne building built in 1938; four historic churches; and a variety of houses.

The homes in the district are mainly bungalows and Tudor Revival buildings; most were built between 1910 and 1940, though some were constructed as early as the 1840s.