Warren County Courthouse (Indiana) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Warren County Courthouse
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 Location in Warren County, Indiana
Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | 125 North Monroe Street, Williamsport, Indiana |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1908 |
| Architect | J. W. Royer |
| NRHP reference No. | 08000195 |
| Added to NRHP | March 19, 2008 |
The Warren County Courthouse is a strong stone building built in 1908. You can find it in Williamsport, Indiana. This important building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 19, 2008. This means it's recognized as a special place in history.
Contents
The Story of the Courthouse
First County Buildings
When Warren County was first formed, the county seat (the main town for government) was Warrenton. The first court meetings and county business took place in a simple log house. This house belonged to Enoch Farmer.
Later, the county seat moved to Williamsport. Starting in July 1829, another log house was used as the courthouse. This one belonged to William Harrison, who founded the town.
Building the First Real Courthouse
In 1832, people decided it was time for a proper courthouse. Plans were made for a new building. In July 1832, E. W. Jones and Seth Flowers won the job to build it.
The new building was planned to be made of brick. It would be about 40 feet (12 meters) square and 23 feet (7 meters) tall. It was supposed to be finished by August 1833. However, there were some delays, and it was finally ready in mid-1834. The building cost about $2000 to construct. In 1835, it was made even stronger and better.
A New Courthouse in 1872
By 1870, a special group decided the old brick building was not safe anymore. They started planning for a replacement. There was some disagreement, but work began in early 1871.
The new plans called for another brick building. It was to be built in the "Old Town" part of Williamsport, near the Wabash River. The company Hays and Evans from Bloomington, Illinois won the contract. Their bid was $48,400. The county didn't have enough money, so they issued $10,000 worth of county bonds. These were like special loans from the public. The new courthouse was finished and accepted in December 1872.
The Third Courthouse and a Fire
In 1886, the 1872 courthouse was taken down. A third courthouse was built on the current site. This new location was in a newer part of town. This area had grown because of the railroad. This courthouse was quite tall, with a tower that reached 155 feet (47 meters) high.
Sadly, early on a Sunday morning, January 20, 1907, this building caught fire. Most of it was destroyed. Luckily, most of the important county records were saved from the flames.
The Current Courthouse (Built 1908)
The courthouse you see today was designed by J. W. Royer. He was an architect from Urbana, Illinois. Frank Jahn from Champaign, Illinois, and L. N. Cope from Decatur, Illinois, built it. The cost was $115,000.
After the big fire in January 1907, construction for the new building started by October of that year. This was during the time Frank Hanly was the Governor of Indiana. The building was made mostly of strong stone. Its stairs were built from iron and marble. The county also bought two large brass cannons from the United States Government. They placed these cannons outside the building, and you can still see them there today!
