Much of the original plot of Brandenburg was owned by Solomon Brandenburg, an early settler who served in the War of 1812. He built the Old Walnut Log Tavern, a double log house that served as courthouse, hotel, schoolhouse, and home. Three of the earliest steamboats were built at his landing and ferry, and as a leading promoter he helped the town become a major river port. When Brandenburg became the county seat in 1825, the Old Walnut Log Tavern was used as a courthouse. Visitors to the tavern included James Wilkinson, Aaron Burr, and John James Audubon. The brick courthouse built on this site in 1872-73 was destroyed by a tornado on April 3, 1974, and a new courthouse was built on Fairway Drive and dedicated on April 3, 1976.