Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse
About this property
The Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse, often simply called the "Old Courthouse," was once the center of Vanderburgh County, Indiana government. Construction started in the spring of 1888 and was completed in November 1890. The building was ready to be occupied by the county government in early 1891. It sits in the heart of downtown Evansville. The building was designed by architect Henry Wolters of Louisville, Kentucky and constructed by Charles Pearce & Company of Indianapolis. The 19th century German Beaux-Arts architecture masterpiece cost $379,450 to build. The Old Courthouse occupies an entire city block, bounded by Court, Fourth, Vine and Fifth Streets, with each side being encrusted with sculptures and stone carvings in Indiana limestone. The fourteen main statues of human figures are the work of Franz Engelsmann, who studied under the great German masters before setting up his studio in Chicago. In addition, carvings of vegetables, fruits, and flowers indigenous to the area adorn the capitals of the forty-eight pairs of pilasters around the entire building. Before the courthouse was built, the site was a basin where canal boats on the Wabash and Erie Canal would deliver cargo and turn around for the return trip north. After the advent of the railroads and the canal's abandonment, the site was filled in and the courthouse was constructed upon it. A tunnel runs beneath Vine Street connecting the Old Courthouse to the Old Vanderburgh County Jail. The bell tower rises above the Old Courthouse to a height of 216 feet (66 m)
Location
Categories
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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Questions about this property
When was Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse listed on the National Register?
Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 3, 1970.
What type of historic resource is Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse?
Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse?
The period of significance for Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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Historic places, battles, and census history across Vanderburgh County.
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