The Gate City Historic District in the Scott County seat is a five-block area that emerged as a vital commercial hub for the surrounding countryside beginning in the 19th century. While settlement in the area began in the second half of the 18th century, the town was laid out in 1815 on the Wilderness Road and later became Gate City, so-named for its gateway-to-the west location. The town experienced rapid growth at the beginning of the 20th century. The Gate City Historic District includes the Scott County Courthouse, built in 1829, as well as commercial buildings that illustrate a range of commercial architectural styles popular between 1900 and 1960.