Throughout the 1800s, this busy port on the Black River was one of the chief shipping and distribution points for northern Arkansas. In 1888, high on a hill overlooking the busy riverfront, an Italianate-style courthouse was built from bricks made on site. Dramatically, the courthouse was placed high atop the first rocky ridge at the eastern edge of the Ozarks. The two-story courthouse was erected on the foundation of the original courthouse, completed in 1873, that burned in 1885. Restored in 1970 to the architect's original plans, the Victorian courthouse is this state park's dominant feature.