Indiana County Courthouse Histories
- Results
Boone County
Named for: Daniel Boone - Frontiersman
Organized: 1830
County Seat: Jamestown 1830-1833
Lebanon, 1833
Number of Courthouses: 4
| Number | Years | Type | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1833-1839 | Log | 16x24 2-stories Not on the courthouse square |
| 2 | 1840-1856 | Coffee Mill | Fire 1856 - Major loss of records |
| 3 | 1857-1909 | Castle | Arch: William Tinsley $33,000 or $40,000 |
| 3 | 1875-Present | Brick | External staircase Rebuild of 1853 Courthouse Builder: McCormack & Sweeney $9,000 |
| 4 | 1912-Present | Castle | Arch: Joseph T. Hutton Builder: Caldwell & Drake 10/4/1909 142x105 $265,000 Plan approved 8/16/1909 Accepted 12/20/1911 Opened to public 1/1/1912 Dedicated 7/4/1912 |
There was no Courthouse in Jamestown.
There is a letter in the John Elder papers at the State Historical Society that implies that John Elder built the 1840 Courthouse. This reference is most unlikely and was probably due to confusion about a significant private resident that Elder had built in Lebanon about that time. Elder built more architecturally significant structures than the simple coffee mill design used here.
The 1912 Courthouse has 2 sets of 4 massive exterior columns on opposite sides that are said to be the tallest single piece limestone columns in the world at 35' 5 3/4". The courthouse is also distinguished with a beautiful octagonal rotunda.
The courthouse square includes both a Revolutionary War Memorial and a Multi-War Memorial.