Indiana County Courthouse Histories
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Lake County
Named for: Lake Michigan
Organized: 1837
County Seat: Liverpool, 1839-1840
Crown Point, 1840
Number of Courthouses: 8
| Number | Years | Type | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1838-1844, Crown Point | Log | Crown Point was called Lake Court House in 1838. ~$500 |
| 2 | 1839-1840, Liverpool | Log | There is some question as to whether this building was completed. |
| 3 | 1850-1880, Crown Point | Frame | Arch: George Earle. Stylized 67x37 1-story - not on square. Builder: Jeremy Hixson, ~$10,000 |
| 4 | 1880-1971, Crown Point | Castle | Arch: J.C. Cochrane. Cornerstone 9/10/1878. Dedicated 1880. $52,000. Builder: Thomas & Hugh Colwell. Expansions completed in 1909 ($160,000) & 1928 ($80,000) |
| 5 | 1971-Present, Crown Point | Modern | Sprawling complex north of Crown Point |
Additional Courthouses: In addition to the Circuit Courthouses in Crown Point, there have been several Superior Courthouses in Hammond, Gary, and perhaps East Chicago. The first Hammond Courthouse was a Romanesque structure completed in 1903. This courthouse was constructed for at a cost of $77,000 and had an $118,000 addition in 1910. J.T. Hutton designed this courthouse or the Hammond Federal Courthouse, although he may have done both. This courthouse was replaced in the 1970's with a more modern structure. Hutton or J.T. Hutton and Sons Company designed the present Gary Courthouse completed in 1929 at a cost of $1,000,000. There is also a Superior Civil Court in East Chicago but the location has not been researched. Hammond was awarded its Superior Court in 1895 so there may have been a county building before completion of the 1903 courthouse. Gary was awarded its Superior Court in 1917 but utilized rented facilities until the courthouse was built.
Lake Court House was the temporary County Seat 1837-1839. It became the County Seat in 1840 but was renamed Crown Point.
The 1879 Crown Point Courthouse remains as a community project with meeting rooms, shops, and restaurants. Small official county and city offices also remain so the Governments can justify some support of building maintenance.
J.C. Cochrane designed the 1879 courthouse as well as the 1885 Porter County Courthouse.
Lake County has 15 Veterans Memorials but none are on the courthouse square.