The former Marton Courthouse was the fourth courthouse built in Marton and for over a hundred years has been a major landmark on the main street of the town. The first courthouse was a one room wooden building built about 1870. This building eventually proved too small and was moved off site to make way for a larger courthouse, which was opened in 1873. In 1890 a fire, believed to have been started by an arsonist in a High Street bookshop, destroyed a number of buildings including the Post and Telegraph Office and Courthouse. Four days after the fire the Marton Borough Council resolved to build a new courthouse in brick. This courthouse was designed by John Campbell, the Government Architect (1890-1922). It was built by Messrs. Zajonskowski Bros. of Marton and completed by October 1897. (The Zajonskowski Bros. also built the Hunterville Post Office, another registered historic place.) When built, the new courthouse contained a witness's room, Magistrate's room, law library and a courtroom. The building continued to serve the Marton community and wider district throughout most of the twentieth century. However, as the population grew the building proved too small. In 1975 the court moved to a new building and this courthouse was closed. For a short time the former courthouse was used by the Marton Historical Society as a part-time museum and by the Marton Community Centre as its headquarters. In 1982 the building was sold and converted to a restaurant and dwelling. During the 1990s the courthouse became an antique shop. It is now a private dwelling. The former Marton Courthouse is significant as a particularly fine example of John Campbell's favoured Edwardian Baroque style, modest in size but carefully detailed. The building also served the community for over 80 years as the district courthouse.