In 1854 Greene County was officially organized and in 1856 the first courthouse on the town square of Jefferson was built. Prior to 1856 Judge Phillips held court in a log cabin located southeast of Jefferson.
Our present courthouse was dedicated in 1917. Three structures have been located on the present site in Jefferson. The first, a wooden structure, was built in 1856 at a cost of $1,825.00.
The second building on this site, more often referred to as the Red Brick courthouse, was built in 1870.
The current building was built at a cost of nearly $180,000.00 and was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Some of its most prominent features, materials and architecture are modeled in many State Capitols throughout the United States.