Created in 1876, King County was organized in 1891. Its first courthouse, a two-story frame structure, was destroyed by a tornado in 1905. The next house of justice, built of sandstone, burned in 1914. That same year, the county hired Fort Worth architect Ernest E. Churchill to design a new courts building. The two-story concrete structure served as the courthouse until 1982, when the county converted it to a library and built a new courthouse. The Classical Revival edifice exhibits prairie-style influences and remains a testament to the aspirations of early 20th-century King County residents.