Indiana County Courthouse Histories
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Adams County
Named for: John Quincy Adams - Sixth President
Organized: 1836
County Seat: Decatur
Number of Courthouses: 2
| Number | Years | Type | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1839-1873 | Frame | Builder: John Reynolds & Samuel L. Rugg 30x40 2-story not on square - moved when abandoned |
| 2 | 1873-Present | Castle | Arch: J.C. Johnson Builder: Christian Boseker 70x120 $100,000 (Snow) $78,979? Cornerstone 7/4/1972 Completed fall 1873 |
The county seat is in the northern part of the county because in 1836 it was impractical to locate in county center, probably due to the wetland nature of the area. There may have been a temporary structure provided to the county by the Decatur town proprietors until the first courthouse was constructed. This structure would have been part of the county seat locating agreement.
J.C. Johnson was the architect of the 1873 Courthouse as well as the 1877 Courthouse in Randolph County. Johnson was self-taught and later became the Ohio State Architect. Both Courthouses have experienced serious problems with their towers. The design of these buildings was copied from the Defiance, Ohio Courthouse that has a front tower. When these two were built, the Commissioners wanted central towers and Johnson obliged. It appears however, that the building design was not changed to accommodate a tower in that position and the Adams County tower was not properly supported. In 1902 Wing & Mahurin of Fort Wayne was hired to design a front tower. The color of the tower brick differs from the rest of the building. A sketch of the original building exists but an actual photo is yet to be found. When first built, this courthouse had entrances on all four sides. The side entrances were removed sometime after 1902 so hall space could be converted to offices.
Courtyard Memorials include
- Peace Monument, a limestone statue of a female figure
- The Everlasting Flame Monument, an all wars memorial
- Elephant Rock, a memorial to author Gene Stratton-Porter, consisting of a gneiss glacial boulder with a bronze plaque
- Pioneer Memorial, a bronze plaque and stand, from 1936