National Register of Historic Places

Gibson County Courthouse

Princeton, Gibson County, Indiana
Listed
September 26, 1984
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
84001038

About this property

Since 1815, three separate buildings have served as the Gibson County Courthouse in Princeton, Indiana, United States. The current building was constructed in 1884 and is located at the intersection of Indiana State Road 64 and Indiana State Road 65. It is an example of Romanesque Revival architecture and was the model for Department 56's Original Snow Village Courthouse. Gibson County's Courthouse is of very similar design to the Johnson County Courthouse in Franklin, Indiana. The residence of Judge William Harrington was first used to conduct court business. Work on the first courthouse began on September 1, 1814. The building was constructed of bricks which were made nearby on the public square. It had two floors and measured 33 feet by 40 feet. It was first occupied in June 1815. The second courthouse was also made of brick and was completed in 1843 at a cost of about $9,000. The third (and current) courthouse was built on the site of the previous building. The cornerstone was laid on June 17, 1884, accompanied by a Masonic ceremony attended by several thousand people. The McDonald Brothers of Louisville, Kentucky designed the Romanesque Revival building, which was constructed by local contractor Joseph Miller of Washington, Indiana at a cost of $188,661. The two-story building has a full basement and is made of red brick trimmed with stone; the interior is trimmed with black walnut and oak, and has mosaic tile floors. The trial of Leslie Irvin (also known as "Mad Dog Irvin") was conducted here in 1955. In 2006 and 2007, an aesthetic renovation project began. The exterior walls and corner towers as well as the central bell tower were repainted, and a gazebo donated by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana was placed on the courthouse lawn. Stormont, Gil R. (1914). "Chapter V. County Government". History of Gibson County, Indiana. Indianapolis: B. F. Bowen and Company. pp. 81–83. Counts, Will; Jon Dilts (1991). The 92 Magnificent Indiana Courthouses. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-33638-5. Photographs of the Gibson County Courthouse from the Ball State University Digital Media Repository

Location

Princeton, Gibson County, Indiana
38.35558, -87.56815

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Welborn-Ross House
Industrial
0.7 mi
Patoka Church of God in Christ-Patoka Colored School
Industrial
3.4 mi
Trippett-Glaze-Duncan-Kolb Farm
Listed
4 mi
Trippett-Glaze-Duncan-Kolb Farm (Boundary Increase)
Early Republic
4 mi
Lyles Consolidated School
Industrial
5.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Gibson County Courthouse listed on the National Register?

Gibson County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 26, 1984.

What type of historic resource is Gibson County Courthouse?

Gibson County Courthouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Gibson County Courthouse?

The period of significance for Gibson County Courthouse is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Gibson County Courthouse?

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