Polk County was created twice.  The first time was in January 1847, and the area was named in honor of Colonel William Polk, a Revolutionary War hero.  But the people in the county argued over where the county seat would be, and in January 1849, the General Assembly repealed the original legislation.  Polk County was no longer a county. 

It wasn't until January 20, 1855 that the General Assembly recreated Polk County from portions of Rutherford and Henderson counties. At that time, the legislature ordered that John Logan, Joseph Ervin, and Benjamin Burgin be appointed commissioners to locate the county seat that would be called Columbus.

In December 1855, it was ordered that William S. Mills find someone to build a temporary courthouse at Columbus and that he begin to look for someone to build a permanent courthouse and jail. 

Ephraim Clayton and George W. Shackelford, both of Buncombe County, won the bid to build the courthouse.  It is not known who drew the plans for the courthouse. 

Court records show that Clayton and Shackelford contracted to build the courthouse and jail for $16,836, as well as enclosing the public square, building a cupola and furnishing a bell for the courthouse.  They apparently finished the courthouse and jail by September 1859 when a grand jury reported to the court that the new public buildings were "in good order."