The cornerstone was laid in 1933 on the site of the previous 1868 building which was razed during the construction of the new courthouse (the former clock tower's face and clockworks would be later rebuilt into a new tower as part of the new Sheridan Elementary School in the late-1970s).

It was completed in 1934 as a Works Progress Administration project, having provided 200 local workers with jobs in the midst of the Great Depression.

The building received a four-story rear annex in 1956 and interior renovations in 1968.

Several county offices moved to a new administration building in the late 90s across the street, northeast of the courthouse.

The city of Sheboygan has utilized the fifth-floor boardroom on multiple occasions as a temporary chamber for the Common Council, especially when City Hall has undergone renovations disallowing use of the regular chamber.