Conspicuously placed at a well-traveled intersection in the county seat village of Saluda, the 1852 Middlesex County Courthouse is a late example of the temple-form, arcaded-front court structures which were constructed as civic buildings in Virginia during the 19th century. Beginning with the 1704 Capitol in Williamsburg, the arcade has been a traditional architectural feature of Virginia public buildings. The Middlesex County seat was moved from Urbanna to Saluda in 1849, and John P. Hill was commissioned to erect this new courthouse. The building has since been enlarged, but its original section, occasionally serving a non-judicial function, is still clearly evident.