This WPA-era building achieves a modicum of distinction because of its locally quarried facing material: deeply striated sandstone of a distinctive yellow cast. The courthouse is rectangular and stands two stories above a raised basement. Shallow pilasters separating the bays rise above the cornice to provide a bit of interest to the roofline. Fenestration infills seem less intrusive than is often the case when original windows are altered.

On the lawn, a tall obelisk supporting a standing figure of a solider is inscribed, “In memory of the soldiers and sailors of Preston County 1861–1865.” One of the state's most imposing Civil War memorials, it was begun in 1895 and completed in 1903.