The courthouse was designed in a Beaux-Arts style in 1909 by Cleveland architect J. Milton Dyer, replacing the 1840 Greek Revival building which now serves as Painesvilleās City Hall.
The drawings herein were drafted from original documents in order to demonstrate work necessary to patch the copper dome and secure it against water infiltration.Later the drawings were used for illustrative purposes, including blue, sepia, and colored renderings.