In 1863 a building that served at the public hall, schoolroom, general utility headquarters, and courthouse of Cherokee County was built with public funds. The $1,900 structure was then moved to a site near the developing railroad in 1870. Although it did not provide enough space for county business, it wasn't until 1888 that county residents agreed to pay $50,000 for a new combination courthouse and jail. The castle-like structure with a limestone ground floor, clock tower, third-story gables, and ornamentation, was completed in 1891.
The contemporary courthouse, built in the city of Cherokee, is a low sprawling brick structure. It was completed in 1966 at a cost of approximately $475,000.