The Tyrrell County Courthouse is one of the largest and most impressive buildings in Columbia and serves as the dividing line between the early twentieth century commercial area and the late nineteenth century residential section. Courts were held in private homes until 1749 when the first courthouse was built on Kendrick's Creek, near what is now Roper. Another building was erected in Elizabeth Town (now Columbia) in 1801. The current Tyrrell County Courthouse was erected in 1903 by the B.F. Smith Fireproof Building Company at an approximate cost of $15,000. This was the same firm that built the Dare, Sampson, and Onslow County Courthouses. Of these four notable structures, the Tyrrell County building is the least altered example.