Landmarks of JusticePreserving Indiana’s County Courthouses

Indiana Courthouse Preservation Advisory Commission

Indiana Courthouse Preservation Advisory Commission

Our Courthouse Heritage: Design

Hendricks County Courthouse, 1920Hendricks County Courthouse, 1920

Parke County Courthouse, 1879

Parke County Courthouse, 1879

French Second EmpireFrench Second Empire

NeoclassicalNeoclassical

Our County Courthouse Heritage: Art and Craftsmanship

Our County Courthouse Heritage: Community

Sullivan County Courthouse Dedication Day, November

1926

Teddy Roosevelt at Statue Dedication, Marion County

Courthouse, May 1907

Teddy Roosevelt at Statue Dedication, Marion County

Courthouse, May 1907

Indiana’s County Courthouse Heritage: Community

•Courthouse Squares

•Shelbyville

• Lancaster

• Harrisonburg

• Four - block

•Courthouse Squares

•Shelbyville

• Lancaster

• Harrisonburg

• Four - block

Indiana’s Lost Courthouses

Cass CountyClark County Crawford County

Delaware County

Floyd County

Madison CountyMarion County

White County

2005 Threat To Randolph County Courthouse

• built in 1875-1877

• 129 years as center of Winchester and Randolph County

Photo courtesy of Robert Pence

• 2007 Decision to retain

Courthouse Preservation

Recognition – Many of Indiana’s courthouses are listed in the National Register of Historic Places

Eligibility for grant funding

Recent listings include courthouses in:

Adams CountyBenton CountyNewton CountyPike CountySwitzerland County

Listing inNational Register of Historic Places

Listing inNational Register of Historic Places

Benton CountyBenton County

Adams CountyAdams County

Courthouse Preservation Advisory Commission

• Advocacy efforts for legislation led by Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana (hlfi).

• hlfi and Indiana’s Division of Historic Preservation and Archeology (dhpa) worked in partnership to design an effective Commission that would assist counties in preserving their courthouses

• Senate Bill 176 Signed into law by Governor Daniels in 2008.

Courthouse Preservation Advisory Commission

Commission is chaired by Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard

Courthouse Preservation Advisory Commission

Commission consists of community and state leaders and various professionals from

around the state

Commission consists of community and state leaders and various professionals from

around the state

Kathy Beumer

Randolph County Commissioner

Kathy Beumer

Randolph County Commissioner

Brad Bumgardner

Parke County Community Foundation

Brad Bumgardner

Parke County Community Foundation

Hon. J. Steven Cox

Franklin Co. Circuit Court

Hon. J. Steven Cox

Franklin Co. Circuit Court

Julie Berry

Jefferson County Commissioner,

Julie Berry

Jefferson County Commissioner,

Courthouse Preservation Advisory Commission

Diana Hawes

Architectural Historian

Bloomington

Diana Hawes

Architectural Historian

Bloomington

Fritz Herget

Professional Engineer

Fritz Herget

Professional Engineer

Jim GlassIndiana Division of

Historic Preservation &

Archaeology

Jim GlassIndiana Division of

Historic Preservation &

Archaeology

Marsh DavisHistoric

Landmarks Foundation of

Indiana

Marsh DavisHistoric

Landmarks Foundation of

Indiana

Courthouse Preservation Advisory Commission

David TerrellIndiana Office of

Community and Rural Affairs

David TerrellIndiana Office of

Community and Rural Affairs

Ron RossProfessional

Architect

Ron RossProfessional

ArchitectKevin Woodward

Wells County Commissioner

Kevin Woodward

Wells County Commissioner

Commission Responsibilities

A. Technical Assistance(upon request)

• Assess potential courthouse rehabilitation projects and provide information on preservation practices

• Consult and provide recommendations on architectural and

engineering plans

• Provide County Officials with information on funding sources for courthouse preservation projects

a. Historic Preservation Fund Grants

b. Courthouse Preservation Fund

a. Historic Preservation Fund Grants

b. Courthouse Preservation Fund

Pike County Courthouse DomePike County Courthouse Dome

Commission ResponsibilitiesB. Education

Presentations to Conferences of County officials and other interested parties

about Commission services

Survey county officials about their needs for the continued occupancy of their

historic buildings

Make available to counties and the public information on rehabilitation

and restoration

Commission Responsibilities

C. Report to the General Assembly

• Assessment of the importance of preserving courthouses to the history and identity of county seats/counties

•Assessment of the importance of preserving courthouses to the economic revitalization of county seats and counties

•Investigate the need for rehabilitation, restoration, and maintenance of historic

courthouses

More spaceMore space

accessibilityaccessibility

Energy efficiencyEnergy efficiency

Repair/rehabilitation/restorationRepair/rehabilitation/restoration

Observations on the condition of historic courthouses

Courthouse Preservation Advisory Commission

Three committees to carry out the work:

Education, Technical Assistance

Communication

Three committees to carry out the work:

Education, Technical Assistance

Communication

To Request Assistance• To request assistance, a county

official should make a request in writing, to:

David Duvall, Historical ArchitectDivision of Historic preservation & Archaeology402 W. Washington St. Rm. W274Indianapolis, IN 46204(317) 232-1635dduvall@dnr.in.gov

A written request can be in the form of a written letter or an email.