Corydon Historic District facts for kids

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Corydon Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district

Old State Capitol
Location in Harrison County, Indiana Show map of Harrison County, Indiana Location in Indiana Show map of Indiana Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Not specified (original); Roughly bounded by Summit, Maple & Walnut Sts., College Ave., Chestnut, Capitol, Poplar, Water, Beaver & Mulberry Sts. (increase), Corydon, Indiana
Built	1813
Architect	George L. Mesker & Co.; William Mitchell (increase)
Architectural style	Federal (original); Italianate, Queen Anne (increase)
NRHP reference No.	73000017 and 89000243
Added to NRHP	August 28, 1973 (original) June 27, 1989 (increase)

The Corydon Historic District is a special area in Corydon, Indiana, United States, filled with important old buildings. Corydon is famous for being Indiana's First State Capital. This historic district was first recognized in 1973. Later, in 1988, it was made even bigger to include more historical places.

The district has many cool old buildings. The most famous is the Old Capitol, which was Indiana's very first state capitol building. Other important spots include the Old Treasury Building, Governor Hendricks' Headquarters, the Constitution Elm Memorial, and the Posey House. There are also other old homes and businesses that make this area unique.

History of Corydon
Important Historic Buildings
Images for kids
See also

History of Corydon

Corydon, Indiana, was first planned out in 1808. It is still the main town for Harrison County, Indiana. Corydon was the capital of the Indiana Territory from 1813 to 1816. But it's best known for being the first capital of Indiana from 1816 to 1825. Many of the important buildings you see in the historic district today are from this early time. The Old Capitol building is the most important one.

Corydon became the capital of the Indiana Territory in 1813. This happened after the capital moved from Vincennes. Dennis Pennington, a leader from Harrison County, helped make Corydon the capital. He pointed out that the new Harrison County Courthouse could be used for the territorial government meetings. Pennington was in charge of building this courthouse, which later became known as the Old Capitol.

In 1816, a special meeting was held in Corydon to decide if Indiana should become a state. Forty-three people met from June 10 to 29, 1816. They worked on Indiana's first constitution. The courthouse wasn't fully ready, so they met in a nearby log home. It was hot and crowded, so they often gathered outside under a huge elm tree. This tree was later named the Constitution Elm. Today, the historic district has a part of this tree's trunk, protected by a sandstone memorial.

The first official meeting of the Indiana General Assembly happened in Corydon on November 4, 1816. Indiana officially became the 19th state in the United States on December 11, 1816. Corydon was Indiana's first state capital until 1825. That's when the state government moved to Indianapolis.

When the historic district was first added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, it included eight important places from 1816. These were the Old Capitol building, the public square around it, Indiana's first state office building, Governor William Hendricks' Headquarters, the Constitution Elm, the Posey House, the Westfall House, the Branham home/tavern, and the Kintner-McGrain House.

In 1989, the district was made larger to include more historic buildings. This included homes and businesses built after 1825. It also included a newer, three-story Harrison County Courthouse finished in 1929.

A historical marker in Corydon tells about the Battle of Corydon in 1863. During the American Civil War, Confederate soldiers led by John Hunt Morgan took over the town. The actual battle site is outside of town and is listed separately. The town square also has a memorial for former Indiana governor Frank O'Bannon and his family. Because of its rich history, Corydon welcomes about 30,000 visitors every year.

Important Historic Buildings

Old Capitol Building

Old Capitol Building in downtown Corydon.

The Old Capitol building is a key part of the Corydon Capitol State Historic Site. It is managed by the Indiana State Museum. This two-story building is made of limestone and has a Federal-style design. It served as Indiana's first state capitol from 1816 to 1825.

The building was first meant to be the Harrison County Courthouse. Construction started in 1814, when Corydon was the capital of the Indiana Territory. It was almost finished in 1816, the year Indiana became a state. The building was mainly used for meetings of the territorial and state governments. Sometimes, the county government and courts used it when the state government wasn't meeting. Dennis Pennington, who became the first speaker of the Indiana Senate, oversaw its construction.

The first page of the 1813 State Capital Act, which moved the capital to Corydon.

The building is about 40 feet (12 m) square. Its walls are 2.5 feet (0.76 m) thick. The outside stones were cut roughly square. The lower floor has 15-foot (4.6 m) ceilings and flagstone floors. The upper floor's ceiling is 10 feet (3.0 m) tall. The original building had a scale and balance on the roof, symbolizing justice. These were replaced with a large bell in 1833.

When Corydon became the state capital in 1816, the Old Capitol was the center of state government. The Indiana Supreme Court and the Indiana Senate met on the upper floor. The Indiana House of Representatives met on the first floor. After 1825, when the capital moved to Indianapolis, the Old Capitol was still used as the Harrison County Courthouse. It served this purpose until a new courthouse was finished in 1929.

In 1917, the State of Indiana bought the Old Capitol to protect it. The restored building opened in 1929. It has been kept as a memorial ever since. The Old Capitol was part of the original Corydon Historic District when it was listed in 1973. It has been restored to look as much like its original self as possible. In 2015, a big project was done to protect the building from water damage. They also updated the electricity and landscaping.

First State Office Building

The first state office building was built in 1817. It is also called the Old Treasury Building. This building held state government offices, like the first state auditor's and treasurer's offices. It is located on Walnut Street. The Indiana State Museum started a big renovation of this building in 2008.

Governor Hendricks's Headquarters

Governor's Headquarters, built in 1817, was home of Davis Floyd and later of William Hendricks.

Governor Hendricks's Headquarters is another part of the Corydon Capitol State Historic Site. Davis Floyd, who was a treasurer and auditor for the Indiana Territory, built this home in 1817. He was also a delegate to the constitutional convention in 1816.

After Floyd lost the home, the state government bought it. They used it to house Indiana's governor. It opened as a state historic site in 1979. William Hendricks lived here from 1822 to 1825 when he was governor of Indiana. Hendricks was Indiana's first representative to the U.S. House of Representatives. He later served in the U.S. Senate.

Constitution Elm Memorial

The Constitution Elm remembers the first state constitutional convention. This meeting happened from June 10 to 29, 1816. Forty-three delegates met in Corydon to talk about statehood and write Indiana's constitution. The small log cabin where they met was very crowded and hot. So, the delegates often gathered outside under a large elm tree. This tree later became known as the Constitution Elm.

It is believed the giant elm was 50 feet (15 m) tall. Its trunk was 5 feet (1.5 m) across, and its branches spread over 132 feet (40 m). Sadly, Dutch elm disease destroyed the tree in 1925. However, the trunk has been saved. It is protected by a sandstone memorial.

Posey House

The Posey home was included in the district's original historic listing in 1973. Allan D. Thom and Thomas Lloyd Posey were the first owners when construction started in 1817. Colonel Posey was the son of Thomas Posey, who was governor of the Indiana Territory. Colonel Posey was very active in Harrison County. He was the county treasurer and was appointed adjutant general of Indiana. He used one room as his office. He also ran a dry-goods and cabinet shop in another part of the house. Colonel Posey never married, but he raised fourteen orphans in this home.

Most of the two-story brick home was built between 1817 and 1818. It was built in three parts. The main house, a wing for offices and shops, and a two-story section at the back. This back section had a dining room, kitchen, pantry, smokehouse, and woodshed. Servant quarters were on the second floor of this back section.

The property had several owners over the years. The Daughters of the American Revolution bought it in 1925. They ran it as a local history museum until 1999. The State of Indiana bought the Posey home in 2000. It was empty until it was given to the Historical Society of Harrison County in 2012.

Westfall House

The Westfall House is a log cabin located near the Constitution Elm. It is the oldest building still standing in Corydon. This home is privately owned and not open to the public.

Branham Home/Tavern

William Branham started a tavern here in 1809. The building itself was originally built in 1800.

Kintner-McGrain House

The Kintner-McGrain House was first called Cedar Glade. It was the home of Jacob Kintner. He built this Greek Revival-style house in 1808 near Indian Creek. Kintner's family sold the property in 1849 to Thomas McGrain Sr.

Kintner House Hotel

The Kintner House Hotel was finished in 1873. It originally had twenty-six rooms for guests upstairs. In the early 1900s, it was changed into apartments. It was also used for other businesses. Then, in 1986–87, it was renovated into a bed and breakfast inn. This building is within the historic district.

Harrison County Courthouse

The three-story Harrison County Courthouse is next to the Old Capitol. It was completed in 1929.

Grand Masonic Lodge

The Grand Masonic Lodge first started in 1817. Its founding members included important people like State Senator Dennis Pennington, Indiana's first governor Jonathan Jennings, and U.S. Congressman William Hendricks. The current lodge building on Elm Street was built in 1926. It is still used by Masons and the Order of the Eastern Star.

Leora Brown School

Construction on this school began in 1891. It was first known as the Corydon Colored School. It served as a school for the community's black students. The first high school students graduated from here in 1897. In 1949, Indiana passed a law to desegregate public schools by 1954. The Corydon Colored School closed in 1950. This happened when Corydon's public schools started to mix students of all races. In 1987, the school was renamed for Leora Brown Farrow. She was the school's longest-serving teacher, teaching there from 1924 to 1950.

The school is located at the corner of Summit and Hill Streets. It is a block east of the historic district's boundary. Even though the school was added to Indiana's Register of Historic Places in 1992, it is not listed as a separate property on the National Register. The building was turned into a cultural center in 1993.