Columbia, South Dakota, was the site of Brown County's first courthouse until 1887 when Aberdeen became the county seat.
A dispute followed, and the county seat moved back to Columbia from November 1889 until 1890, after which Aberdeen permanently became the county seat.
After becoming the county seat, a wood frame courthouse building was built in Aberdeen.

Work on a new courthouse in Aberdeen began by 1902, designed by architects Frank W. Kinney and Menno S. Detweiler.
It was built by E. Miller of Le Mars, Iowa, and completed in 1904 at a cost of around $120,000.
 Two half blocks of land were donated by several property owners and a street was removed for the courthouse site.
The courthouse was formally dedicated on March 15, 1904.
The old courthouse was demolished in 1905 and the site was turned into a park.

In 1974, the sandstone stairway that led to the second floor entrance was removed to improve accessibility; it was replaced by a plate glass entrance on the first floor.
The courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 3, 1976.
In 2014, after suffering deterioration, the stained glass window around the old entrance was removed, cleaned, and reinstalled.
Columbia, South Dakota, was the site of Brown County's first courthouse until 1887 when Aberdeen became the county seat. A dispute followed, and the county seat moved back to Columbia from November 1889 until 1890, after which Aberdeen permanently became the county seat. After becoming the county seat, a wood frame courthouse building was built in Aberdeen.
Work on a new courthouse in Aberdeen began by 1902, designed by architects Frank W. Kinney and Menno S. Detweiler. It was built by E. Miller of Le Mars, Iowa, and completed in 1904 at a cost of around $120,000.  Two half blocks of land were donated by several property owners and a street was removed for the courthouse site. The courthouse was formally dedicated on March 15, 1904. The old courthouse was demolished in 1905 and the site was turned into a park.
In 1974, the sandstone stairway that led to the second floor entrance was removed to improve accessibility; it was replaced by a plate glass entrance on the first floor. The courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 3, 1976. In 2014, after suffering deterioration, the stained glass window around the old entrance was removed, cleaned, and reinstalled.
Brown County Courthouse (South Dakota)