
The present courthouse is the third one to occupy the square. Though the design is loosely Beaux-Arts Classical, the building's vertical proportions and rusticated stone sheathing refer back to the Richardsonian Romanesque. The cruciform scheme of the design terminates in a double-layered central clock tower. The principal entrance facade is emphasized by a slightly recessed porch within which is a pair of Ionic columns. The square itself, which was densely wooded in the nineteenth century, is now open, and walkways lead from every side and every corner into the building, forming a geometric scheme.