Houston-based John McLelland’s classical design took advantage of the sloping site to create the effect of a temple on an acropolis. The building is three stories in height on a partially raised basement acting as a podium. On all four sides, end bays in buff brick frame the building’s recessed central bays with their monumental Tuscan columns supporting a tall entablature. A bold cornice and a balustraded parapet conclude the building and wrap the projecting and receding masses. The steel windows, which are set close to the face of the masonry, are currently painted white, which makes the walls appear very thin. Originally, the windows and plaster transoms were painted black, making the visual effect of a deep, dark penetration through the wall. The courthouse is being rehabilitated (begun 2013) in stages with funding from the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program.
The architectural treasure on the courthouse square is the courthouse Annex (1905, L. S. Green), a two-story red brick records vault built to supplement the previous courthouse of 1884 by Eugene T. Heiner. The Annex is in extremely poor condition, and its walls are supported by large exterior braces.
Across from the courthouse on the 100 block of W. Mill Street is the Polk County Justice Center (2011, Hester and Sanders Architecture). It appears to be a full block of rehabilitated buildings, but only the northeast corner has original historic walls; the rest are new posing as historic.