In 1784, Thomas Molloy platted Nashville and set aside a four-acre parcel on the bluffs as a civic space. That space became the Public Square, and more than one courthouse has stood on it.
The 1892 photograph shows the Courthouse and Market on the square, crowded with horses and wagons. The current courthouse was built in 1936-37 with federal funds, designed by Emmons H. Woolwine with Hirons and Dennison of New York.
It is an eight-story, steel-frame Art Deco building covered in Indiana limestone. It was the first building in Davidson County with central air conditioning. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 and today holds the offices of the mayor and the Metro Council.