It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource.

The first Sac County courthouse was a two-story brick building that was constructed in 1860.

Russell designed the building that is basically a form of vernacular architecture with a reference to the Romanesque in the entrances arches.

It was very similar in design to the courthouse that had just been completed in Storm Lake (no longer extant).

The architect for the project was Keninger, Galvin & Associates and the contractor was McCorkle Construction Company.