Naas Courthouse was constructed in 1807 to a design by Architect Richard Morrisson, It was extended in 1860 when the four columned portico was positioned as it is today. The Naas Courthouse was the original meeting place of The Poor Law Guardians who held their monthly meetings there, as did their successors Kildare County Council, from 1899 until the building was badly damaged by fire in the 1950s, which caused them to move to St Mary's. The Criminal Courtroom was the setting for many films, due to its remarkable resemblance to the Old Bailey in London.