The Old Todd County Courthouse is the second courthouse to be constructed in Todd County, Kentucky The first court house building was constructed on the same site. Planning for the building began in 1834. Construction was begun in 1835 and the project was completed in 1836. Bricks used in the building's construction were fired on the site. The construction of the courthouse which occupies the center square in Elkton, was authorized by the Fiscal Court, Tuesday, November 11, 1834, at which time they arranged for the selection of a building site.The Commissioners further mandated the county to meet the cost in three payments, the first of which would come from unappropriated funds, which were being held by the sheriff. Thereafter, the balance would be remitted in two equal payments. The building was erected according to a plan drafted by "R. Rowland." The building contained two large open rooms; one on the first floor, and another on the second. The first floor room was used as a formal court room containing a judge's stand framed in a frontispiece and a railing separating the auditorium and bar. Small rooms concealed behind semi-circular shaped walls held jury deliberation spaces and judge's chambers. The semi-circular walls in both court rooms are similar to design features used in the courthouses and pattern books of architect Robert Mills. The second floor room, though also having small rooms located on the south-west and south-east corners, was used as a space for the Grand Jury, County Fiscal Court, and for community gatherings. Two large Doric columns that embody the architectural principles of entasis were placed in the lower court room to support the second floor. These columns are created of custom formed circular brick. The millwork details located in the building's judge's stand frontispiece are directly inspired by Asher Benjamin's Country Builder's Assistant pattern book. The building originally contained no county offices. The county instead constructed a county office annex known as the "Clerk's Office" located near the south-west corner of the Elkton town square in 1822.
