The courthouse and jail were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

Its first two courthouses, one of log, the other a two-story wooden building, were located in the original county seat at Jacksonville.

Jacksonville, with its plantation economy and river landing, was replaced as county seat in 1870 by McRae, located on the Macon and Brunswick Railroad.

It burned in 1934 and was replaced by the current, sixth, courthouse later that year using the walls of the 1904 building.

[2] The Macon, Georgia architecture firm of Dennis & Dennis designed the courthouse, as well as the Emanuel County and Peach County courthouses, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.