Indiana County Courthouse Histories
- Results
Dearborn County
Named for: General Henry Dearborn - Secretary of War under Jefferson
Organized: 1803
County Seat: Lawrenceburg, 1803-1835
Wilmington, 1835-1843
Lawrenceburg, 1843-Present
Number of Courthouses: 4
| Number | Years | Type | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1810-1826, Lawrenceburg | Brick | Commissioners contracted Fire 1826 Major loss of records |
| 2 | 1828-1870, Lawrenceburg | Brick | Rebuild of 1810 Courthouse. County Seat lost 9/28/1836; Resumed use in 1/4/1844 |
| 3 | 1836-1843, Wilmington | Coffee Mill | 42x48 Still standing in 2006; including jail $4000 |
| 4 | 1873-Present, Lawrenceburg | Castle | Arch: George Kyle, 73x101, $135,775; Builder: Stone work & Frame L. Farman, $100,000 Remaining work: Thomas J. Shannon; Plans adopted 6/15/1870 Modeled after Floyd County of 1867 Cornerstone 4/13/1871 |
The citizens of Lawrenceburg were most unhappy when the Dearborn County seat was moved to the more central location of Wilmington in 1836 via an Indiana State Act of 1835. The southern Dearborn town of Rising Sun, whose population voted for the move to Wilmington, had wanted to be their own County but had been stymied by the Lawrenceburg residents. A deal was struck, that if the people of Lawrenceburg would support the creation of the new County of Ohio with Rising Sun as the County Seat, the majority of the remaining population of Dearborn County would favor Lawrenceburg as the County seat and it could return there.
The present Courthouse supposedly has a cornerstone, but no one can find it.
The Courthouse Square includes the following Memorials: American Revolution War Memorial, "Medal of Honor" - Civil War Memorial, World War I War Memorial, World War II War Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, and a Price of Freedom Memorial.