This three-story courthouse, built by Martin, Byrnes and Johnston, originally followed Heiner's Victorian-era vocabulary of steep roofs and tower until a hurricane removed the roof and tower in 1909 (the courthouse had survived the Storm of 1900 without damage). Rather than reconstruct the tall tower, the county chose a more economical dome raised on a drum in a neoclassical vocabulary. The steep roofs were likewise replaced with pedimented gables and a Classical Revival cornice. The rusticated corners and large arched windows are visible reminders of Heiner's original. The exterior of the courthouse was rehabilitated in 2011 by Volz and Associates with funding from the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program.