Courthouse Square developed through a series of civic building projects and committees: in 1842 a temporary courthouse was overseen by a building committee of Ephraim Clayton, John Davis, and D. Maxwell and built by John M. Kimsey; in 1843 public stocks were erected by James Spann; in 1846 a brick courthouse was built by E. and B. King and Thomas Harkins, while a stone jail was built by Boyd McCrary under a courthouse and jail building committee of James Spann, Hugh Johnson, John Davis, William Deaver, and David Maxwell; in 1905 the historic courthouse was undertaken with commissioners P.T. Ward, J.J. Baldwin, and S.W. Hamilton, architect R.S. Smith, builder William F. Edwards, a planning committee of Judge G.M. Pace, Charles F. Toms, and Henry Twyford, and an advisory committee of J.P. Rickman, W.F. Davis, M.C. Toms, and R.H. Staton; in 1926 a jail was built with commissioners J.O. Huston, J.A. Brock, and C.O. English, architects Benton and Benton, construction by Southeastern Company, heating and ventilation by Charles W. Christian, jail equipment by Pauley Jail Company, and wiring by Conduit Electric Company; and in 2008 the historic courthouse received restoration and an addition under the board of commissioners, county staff, project coordinators, architects, engineers, landscape architects, fire protection engineers, contractors, and members of the Historic Courthouse Corporation who were named for the project.