Owen County Courthouse and Jail
National Register of Historic Places

Owen County Courthouse and Jail

Owenton, Owen County, Kentucky
Listed
May 5, 1976
Type
Building
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
76000937

About this property

The Owen County Courthouse and Jail in Owenton, Kentucky was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The complex of two buildings also contributes to the National Register-listed Central Owenton Historic District. The courthouse, whose main part was built in 1857–58, is described in its NRHP nomination as: "one of the finest of smaller Kentucky Greek Revival temple-form courthouses. The architect is unknown, and the style did form a kind of vernacular that might have allowed a builder to erect even so satisfying a design. The handsome cupola is rather more substantial than many, and the treatment of the panelled sides is simpler but perhaps more effective." One-story wings were added in 1868. The jail is a nearly cubic-shaped two-story building which faces east towards the courthouse from across N. Madison St. It is a "surprisingly charming jail", builtd during 1874 to 1876 to a design by architect H.P. McDonald. It is the first known design by McDonald and is Italianate in style; Italianate features include decorative brackets under its low hipped roof and arched tops of second-story window openings. It was relatively "humane" in its design when built. In 1974 both courthouse and jail still served the county in their original purposes.

Location

Owenton, Owen County, Kentucky
38.53627, -84.83752

Categories

MILITARYPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
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

Central Owenton Historic District
Civil War
0 mi
Highfield
Industrial
0.2 mi
Cox, L. 0., House
Industrial
0.2 mi
North Main-North Adams Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Ford House
Civil War
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Owen County Courthouse and Jail listed on the National Register?

Owen County Courthouse and Jail was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 5, 1976.

What type of historic resource is Owen County Courthouse and Jail?

Owen County Courthouse and Jail is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Owen County Courthouse and Jail?

The period of significance for Owen County Courthouse and Jail is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1857.

Can I research the history near Owen County Courthouse and Jail?

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