Collin County was formed in 1846, and its only town, Buckner, was automatically selected as the county seat, but an election held to move the seat to the center of the county resulted in McKinney becoming the county seat in 1848, despite only eleven people voting because of inclement weather. The first courthouses in McKinney were modest wooden structures. A third courthouse was erected on this site during 1874-1875 and opened in 1876 as a two-story Victorian building of native limestone blocks with a steep mansard roof and an east-facing main entrance. Its architect was Charles Wheelock of Sherman, though he was often mistakenly identified as Charles Wheeler. The courthouse on the square became a backdrop for parades and other events, but by the mid-1920s it was overcrowded and in poor condition. Extensive renovations to the exterior and interior removed the mansard roof and tower caps and added a third story and basement. Overseen by W. A. Peters of the Paris, Texas, architectural firm of Sparger and Peters, this work produced a classical revival building completed in 1927. Its original features included tripartite windows with flanking double classical columns on the north and south facades. Commonly known as the Temple of Justice, it continued as the center of activity for city and county functions and remained in service as a courthouse until 1979.