Title	Jefferson County Courthouse-View 1
Subject	Courthouses
Description	The first courthouse was built in 1811. It was two stories and made of "buckeye logs." It was removed in 1823 and a brick structure built in its place. This old brick courthouse was octagon in form and the entire lower floor was fashioned as a courtroom. This building was destroyed by fire in 1853 and the present courthouse was erected upon the same ground. It, in turn, was partially destroyed by fire in 1859. The original cost of the structure was $36,000 and Mr. David Dubach of Hannibal, Missouri, was the architect. The builders were David Dubach, Henry C. Kyle and J. W. Hinds. The Commissioners' records dated September 6, 1855 states: "The contractors of the new Court House gave to the Board of Commissioners the keys of the said building which keys are accepted." The bell was made by the West Troy Bell Foundry, West Troy, N. Y., in 1855 for $742.29. The bell weighed 3116 pounds. The clock was put in place December 27, 1855, and was paid for by money subscribed by the people of Madison. In the courtyard were 20,000 bricks, as well as stone work and an iron fence. The total cost was $953.96. The courthouse was renovated in 1960. The courtroom and several offices were changed to give more room. There have been other minor changes during the last few years. The outside of the building has remained mostly unchanged through the years.
Creator	Harry Lemen, photographer Eastman-Kodak Brownie Camera No. 2C model A, with No. 130 film.
Contributors	Madison-Jefferson County Public Library
Date	Picture taken circa mid-1940s
Type	Negative (2-7/8" x 4-7/8")
Format	Scanned negative, 1200 DPI, online JPG saved at 72 DPI 1000 pixels on long edge with a MicroTek ScanMaker 9800XL. Scan is full frame of negative. No correction of film errors. Slight sharpness and contrast adjustments.
Identifier	"Lemen1045-courthouse"
Source	Madison Courier Historic Files Early History of Madison by Hudson These Historic Hills Early Jefferson County
Rights	Permission to reproduce this image for other than personal use must be requested from the Director of the Madison-Jefferson County Public Library. Please contact at 420 W. Main Street Madison, IN 47250 (812) 265-2744