Indiana County Courthouse Histories
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Jennings County
Named for: Jonathan Jennings - Indiana's First Governor
Organized: 1817
County Seat: Vernon
Number of Courthouses: 3
| Number | Years | Type | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1815-1830 | Log | |
| 2 | 1830-1857 | Brick | 24x24 |
| 3 | 1861-Present | Castle | Arch: Isaac Hodgson. Builder: Samuel Read, $26,375 per J. Dils. Ordered 1857, Construction began 1858. Completed 1860. Celebrated 7/4/1861. Renovated 1985-1987, $669,542 per J.Dils. |
This 1861 Courthouse was built practically identical to the Morgan County Courthouse that was finished in 1859. Morgan County has made major additions to their Courthouse and Jennings has not, so they are no longer the same. The two buildings had different construction contractors, so there are definite trim differences. Local building materials were heavily used in the construction including stone, brick, and wood.
Vernon is the smallest Indiana County seat with a population around 300, but Vernon is effectively a suburb of North Vernon so the population is misleading. Efforts have been made to move the county seat to North Vernon, and will probably succeed when it becomes impractical to maintain the present courthouse. Mount Vernon is also a County seat (Posey County).