Indiana County Courthouse Histories
- Results
Fayette County
Named for: Marquis de Lafayette
Organized: 1819
County Seat: Connersville
Number of Courthouses: 3
| Number | Years | Type | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1822-1849 | Coffee Mill | Builder: Jonathon John 40x40 $1262.50; Contracted November 1819, Accepted August 1822 |
| 2 | 1849-1891 | Castle | Arch: & Builder John Elder; Included jail until 1881, $20,000; Contracted June 1847, Accepted November 12, 1849 |
| 3 | 1891-Present | Castle | Arch: W.F. Kaufman, 1849 Courthouse reconstructed, $36,192; Builder: Downs, Ready & Company |
The 1849 Courthouse was probably the most significant in the State when constructed and is considered herein as the first courthouse built in Indiana to be classified as a castle. In 1891, along with some interior modifications, the exterior of the building was reconstructed and changed from Colonial to Romanesque style. An addition was built 2004-2005, and in 2006 the original building was refurbished. The accepted construction date of the Courthouse is 1891 although it would not be unreasonable to use the 1849 date. Modifications had previously been done after a new jail was completed in 1881 ($8000).
When reconstructed in 1891 a tower with a conical roof was added. The tower roof was removed and sometime later a silo dome was added. The dome was removed and the original conical roof replaced in 2006.
It was thought in the 1810-1818 time frame that Fayette and Union Counties would actually be one county. The combined county centrally located town of Waterloo (extinct) was laid out with a town square in anticipation of being the county seat of that county.