The original building of the Old Parliament House was designed by G. D. Coleman and constructed in 1826. It was meant to serve as the residential home of Scottish merchant John Argyle Maxwell but was eventually used by the colonial administration as a Court House and administrative building. Major reconstruction works were carried out in 1875 by J. F. A. McNair, following which the building served as the Supreme Court until 1939. After the war, the building housed various government offices and later the Legislative Assembly. In 1959, it was renamed Parliament House and continued to be the venue for lawmakers to gather until 1999, when a new building was constructed nearby for that purpose. The old building, now known as the Old Parliament House, underwent extensive renovations that were completed in 2004 when it reopened as the Arts House. The restored building remains in use as an arts and entertainment venue.
