Indiana County Courthouse Histories

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Decatur County
Named for: Commodore Stephen Decatur - Tripolitan War (Barbary War) and War of 1812
Organized: 1822
County Seat: Greensburg
Number of Courthouses: 2

Number	Years	Type	Detail
1	1827-1854	Coffee Mill	40x40 Occupied May, 1827 per 1825 contract
2	1860-Present	Castle	Arch & Supt: Edwin May, requested at $30,000, bid at $40,000; Cost $120,000; Stonework Contract 8/6/1854; Brickwork 6/19/1855; Extensively remodeled 1889-1890 per plans from McDonald Brothers, $27,749

The first commissioner's court was held at the house of Thomas Hendricks on May 14, 1822, and continued there until 1825.

Construction of the 1860 Courthouse began in 1855 or 1856. The first contract was issued 3/6/1854. Another report says that Jefferson Isgrigg moved to Decatur March 1, 1853 specifically to do the ornamental work on courthouse construction in progress. There is a definite date problem here? The Second floor courtroom was divided into two floors in 1888-1890 during enlarging and remodeling. This type of modification also occurred in Steuben and Randolph Counties and perhaps elsewhere as well. An Addition has been added to the side (now the back) of the original building, significantly enlarging its total space.

From 1903 to 199x the brick of this Courthouse was covered with stucco that was painted and trimmed in various colors. This seems to have been the style for a significant period because at least Decatur, Jefferson, Martin, Ohio, Orange, Ripley, and Switzerland Counties did this. The Orange County Courthouse remains white, but the remaining Counties have all returned to the natural brick.