Rockville has had four court houses since it was established as the county seat in 1776. Court was originally held at Hungerford Tavern. A frame court house existed in the late 18th century, but by 1810 it had been outgrown enough to require a new building for the clerk and his records. In 1835, the county petitioned the General Assembly for authorization for a new brick court house, which was completed in 1840. By then, Rockville was an established residential, governmental, and market hub with a population of nearly 400. The court house's original single-story wings were raised in 1872 to provide more space, but after the Metropolitan Branch of the B&O Railroad opened in 1873, population and court house business increased significantly, and the building was again outgrown. It was demolished in 1890. The General Assembly then authorized another bond issue for a replacement brick and sandstone Romanesque Revival court house, constructed in 1890-91, and Montgomery County's continued growth led to the construction in 1931 of the grey Neoclassical style court house, which was connected to the 1891 court house.