Indiana County Courthouse Histories

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Grant County
Named for: Captains Moses and Samuel Grant - Kentucky Indian Fighters
Organized: 1832
County Seat: Marion
Number of Courthouses: 3

Number	Years	Type	Detail
1	1834-1838	Frame	26x22 2-story $684
2	1838-1880	Brick	40x40 2-story Contractor: Dr. Trask then George Webster $5000
3	1885-Present	Castle	Arch & Supt: E.E. Myers, fee $6700; 154x86 Builder: Hinsdale-Doyle Granite Company, 7/17/1880, bid $134,000; Ordered 1/8/1880 Cornerstone 6/1/1881 Construction Completed Dec. 1882; $212,776

E.E. Myers of Detroit designed the 1885 Courthouse. Myers copied the design of a previous courthouse in Elyria, Ohio. He was also a major pain to other Midwest architects, as he tended to sue whenever he lost a job, particularly the Indiana Statehouse.

The 1885 courthouse, when built, was probably one of the finest in the State. The dome was removed in 1943 after a modest fire. There had been discussions of removing the tower in the 1930's probably to allow for the installation of an elevator. Interior remodeling at that time which included the addition of an elevator, destroyed the interior beauty of the Courthouse. A 9-foot zinc "Lady Justice" was removed from the top of the dome and placed in a local park where vandals destroyed it. All that remains is the head which is housed in the museum section of the local library.

The Marion Town square where both the 1838 and 1885 Courthouses were built was apparently the location of a 60-foot diameter Indian mound. The mound was leveled and partially used to make bricks for the 1838 Courthouse.