Designed in an Art-Moderne style with Art Deco details, it was built with brick and concrete with ceramic and terra cotta ornamentation. It was designed by Henry Truman Phelps and it was the last Texas courthouse he designed before his death in 1944. The four story building (including a rooftop jail that is no longer used) is surrounded with pilasters that are crowned with stylized stone capitals. An ornamented stringcourse surrounds the rooftop and the spandrels are emblazoned with the initials of the county. A gilded terra cotta eagle with spreading wings is perched over each entrance.