County courthouses are, by their very nature, public buildings. Yet even in a public space, county executives carved out certain private spaces for the personal offices of local ranking officials. When Gibbs designed this space, he intended for the larger of the two rooms to serve as a small probate court room while the smaller inner space next to it was to be the judge’s private office, in which he might work in peace.

The judge’s honored position afforded him several luxuries in his office. One such luxury was the beautiful fireplace in the corner, which serves as a focal point for the small room. While made of relatively common stone, the fireplaces were carefully painted to mimic marble. A careful examination of the courthouse reveals nine fireplaces total, all in what were considered the most important offices.