Bartholomew County Courthouse (IN 03) (Columbus, Indiana)

 national government / government, courthouse, clock tower, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, Second Empire (architecture), 1870s construction

www.in.gov/judiciary/bartholomew/
bartholomewco.com/

Four court houses have served Bartholomew County since its creation by the Indiana General Assembly on January 9, 1821. The first court house was Luke Bonesteel's small double log cabin on the banks of White River at the foot of Lindsey Street. It stood on lot 119 of the original plat of the Town of Tiptona, named in honor of General Tipton, Indian fighter, veteran of the Battle of Tippecanoe, donor of 30 acres of land for the town site, and one of the sponsors of the new county. The other sponsor was General Joseph Bartholomew, pioneer, commander of the Indiana Militia at Tippecanoe, and in whose honor the county had been named. On February 15, 1821, Jesse Ruddick, William Ruddick, and Solomon Stout, the newly elected commissioners of the county, met in Bonesteel's house for the first time, and on February 26 bought the cabin for $50.00 to serve as the court house for the new county. The next month the commissioners, for no recorded reason, changed the name of the county seat from Tiptona to Columbus, and John Tipton was so angered at their ingratitude that he left, never to return.

In December of 1821, a contract for a new court house was let to a Giles Mitchell. The building was to be of brick, two stories high, forty feet square and 25 feet in height, surmounted by a cupola topped by an iron rod at least 10 feet in length on which were mounted a round wood ball painted a bright yellow and a weather gauge made of wood in the form of a fish. In 1825 Mitchell was released from his contract which was then awarded to a Mr. Jones. The work drug along because of financial difficulties of the county, and in 1829 William Chapman was awarded a contract to make further repairs, the money for which was to be raised by an early version of a local option tax. In 1829 a poll tax of 25 cents, specie, per person was levied by the Board of Justices of the county under a special enabling act of the Legislature, so that Chapman was able to complete the wood work by 1831. In the meantime the house purchased from Bonesteel had been sold in 1824 and the county's business was conducted in rooms rented by the Commissioners wherever they could be best obtained until the new court house could be used.

The county quickly outgrew this building, and in February of 1839, John Elder, reputed to be one of the finest architects in the state at that time, submitted a proposal to construct a new building for $8500. Construction was begun that year on the new building, which was set facing north in the middle of the Public Square. It was also a cupolated brick building with stone trimmings and fire proof vaults, two stories high and covered with pine or walnut shingles.

County Commissioners Lewis Essex, John P. Holtz and John W. Welmer, meeting on December 14, 1870 in the little square brick Courthouse located in the center of the Public Square, "ordered, that a new courthouse be located and built on or near the north east corner of the Public Square facing on Washington and Tipton streets, and that I. Hogson (sic), architect of the city of Indianapolis be and is hereby selected and appointed to prepare for said Board of Commissioners the proper and necessary plans, drawings and specifications for said new Courthouse." In justifying their action the minutes stated that "the Commissioners deem the present courthouse and offices therein insufficient for the convenience, necessity and wants of the people of the County, and in the event of a fire, that the destruction of the entire records and papers of the County would be the inevitable result." They further noted that "In the opinion of the Commissioners to undertake to enlarge, remodel or replace the old courthouse in its present dilapidated, crumbling and unsafe condition would be useless and an unnecessary expenditure of money."

Even though the old courthouse was frail, there is no doubt that the Commissioners met with opposition to the project, as five years later on the completion of the new courthouse the Louisville Courier Journal commenting on their action, stated; " We do not know, but we expect the farmers and solid men of the county shook their heads dolefully and looked mighty serious in 1870 when the building of such an expensive structure was first mentioned. It looked indeed serious and appeared like getting on the ragged edge of bankruptcy to carry out as at that time thought such a dangerous project."

Notwithstanding the opposition, architect Isaac Hogdson, a native of Belfast Ireland, and a resident of Indianapolis, moved with speed, so that by March, 1871, the necessary plans were complete and the Auditor was authorized to advertise the project for bidding. Bids were received until April 18, 1871, and on that day the contract was let to the local contracting firm of McCormack and Sweeney for $142,900.00. The work was immediately commenced under the supervision of John Redmond, foreman. Ground was broken for the foundation May 1, 1871 and the first stone was laid July 26, 1871.

The following firms and individuals were given sub-contracts:

* Perkinson and Webb, Columbus, carpenter work and lumber used by them.
* Hough & Company, Indianapolis, wrought iron works.
* Klugle & Company, Dayton, Ohio, furnish and install galvanized iron and slate.
* John Owens, Louisville, plastering.
* B. Bush & Sons, Columbus, heating apparatus for the entire building and for furnishing and installing all gas burners, pendants and chandeliers.
* Megans & Company, Louisville, KY- Plumbing, all gas and water pipes.
* John Ryons, Louisville, KY - painting.
* John Rouzer, Dayton, Ohio - Furniture, counters with marble tops, desks. Pigeonholes, etc. also walnut doors for the first floor, the main entrance and for all offices.
* M.H. Lane & Company, Columbus - providing chairs for the court and jury rooms.

Over $8000.00 was paid to the Union Foundry Works of Cincinnati, Ohio for the wrought iron fence enclosing the Public Square. The foundation stone is from the quarries of North Vernon, the finishing stone from those at Ellettsville and the brick from Indianapolis.

The iron doors, gates, window shutters, gallery railings, roof pavilions and the lower casing and trimming were bronzed. The sashes, sash doors were glazed with the best plate glass. The wooden doors, sashes, blinds, trimming and other interior woodwork were finished in oil. The corridors were paved with encoustic tile in colors. The offices were provided with open grates and marble mantles. The entire building was heated with steam with indirect radiation. It was lighted with gas from richly furnished chandeliers; the approaches being lighted with large clustered lamps set at the entrance steps. The entire building is fireproof. The roof truss structure is of iron, the slate at that time being fastened to iron lathes, as well as the joists and plastering lathes being of iron. Although office floors were of wood ingeniously attached to the iron joists, the joist space between floor and ceiling below was filled with dirt and sand as additional fireproofing.

The clock, which cost $5,000.00 was manufactured by E. Howard & Company of Boston, Mass on what is known as the "gravity escape-ment principle. It was first started April 3, 1875, when at 7:00 P.M. the gas was turned on by the machinery, brilliantly illuminating the four dials. The time weight weighed about 600 pounds, and the two striking weights were 950 pounds each. The pendulum was 13 ½ feet long and the ball on the end weighed 190 pounds. The weights traveled almost 100 feet for eight days, which the clock ran at one winding. The clock is now run by an electric motor and lighted by fluorescent lights.

After three and one-half years of construction the new courthouse was accepted by the Commissioners from the contractor late in 1874 at a cost of alittle over $225,000.00. The construction was financed on a pay as you go plan with a levy of .60 cents in 1871, .75 cents in 1872, .40 cents in 1873, and .35 cents in 1874 on each $100.00 valuation of the $12,000.00 assessed valuation of the county at that time. Since these rates alone represented from 25% to 50% of the total rate levied in the various local governmental units of the county for these years, the people of Bartholomew County taxed themselves heavily during this period for a building that would benefit the county for generations to come. However, when the building was completed, it had been paid for and the pride of the people in their accomplishment in the construction of the new courthouse was evident in the newspaper articles of that time. The Louisville Courier Journal reported that "it is the finest, most elegant and costly building by all odds in the state."

At a meeting in the office of the mayor on December 15, 1874, the necessary committees were appointed for the dedication of the new courthouse on December 29, 1874. The day dawned beautiful and bright but with a chill in the air. Although the train from Indianapolis arrived early with many guests from that city, many people had already thronged in from the outlying areas to participate in the daylong festivities. The building was opened to the public at 10:00 a.m. and at 2:00 p.m. the opening exercise began in the north court room consisting of prayers by Reverend Alexander Parker and Elder Z.T. Sweeney, music by the band and speeches redundant with the flowery oratory of the Victorian Era by Judge James S. Hester, Dr. J.C. Beck and General W.H.H. Terrell. In the evening the building, "given additional beauty by the sparkling gas jets," was opened at 7:00 p.m. followed by music by the band at 8:00 p.m. and more speeches by Col. S. Stansifer, R. Hill, F.T. Hord, N.T. Carr, W.W. Herod, and F. Winter. At 10:00 p.m. the order was given for the Grand March, which led to the third floor of the building where in the long hallway was spread a banquet prepared by W.C. Heaton of the Bowlin House. The banquet was served in shifts to 546 guests and included 16 regular toasts followed by an unknown number of voluntary toasts pledged with "bumpers of sparkling champagne." The line of march was again taken up and a return was made to the second floor, where in the courtroom and the long hall they danced until the early morning hours.

The building served the county well, but with little chance except for some modest renovation and repairs until the addition of the terrazzo floors in 1928 and the replacement of the slate roof by copper in 1953.

In 1963, Pat. Y. Spillman, of a Dallas, Texas architectural firm made a survey, financed by the Irvin Union Bank and Trust Company, to determine if the space in the courthouse could be better utilized for office purposes. The results of this survey showed that the building "handsome and technically ingenious, is today sound and durable and show but little sign of 90 years of use," and recommended the combining of city and county governmental offices in the remodeled building. This proposal was turned down because of the feeling that there would be insufficient space in the building to accommodate the ever-increasing requirements of two governmental units. In September 1966, funds were appropriated for preliminary plans for an extensive remodeling of the courthouse, and Sieco, Inc. of Columbus, was selected to prepare these plans. This was done by their architect, Joe True. In August 1967, funds were approved for the project, which was to be accomplished in two stages, the installation of the elevator early in 1968. And the general remodeling and installation of the much needed mechanical facilities, which began in May of that year. Edgar D. Whitcomb, Governor of the State of Indiana, rededicated the renovated and refurbished courthouse to the use of the people of Bartholomew County in May 1969. The improvements have enhanced the building's beauty and efficiency without compromising its design or Historical interest.

The high ceiling and original decor has been preserved in the great Superior Courtroom, probably the most dignified, elegant, majestic and beautiful in the state. Original courthouse furnishings may be seen in the Commissioners' Office where one of the desks and marble top counter is still in use. (At the present time 2000, you can view the marble desktop and marble fireplace in the Archives on the first floor of the Courthouse and also the first bell that was used in 1847.)

Hanging in the Archives over the marble fireplace is a fine oil painting of General Joseph Bartholomew, a hero of Tippecanoe, whom the County is named after. It was painted in 1826 at Louisville, KY, by R. Terrell. At the suggestion of George Pence, County Historian, and Auditor of Bartholomew County, Mr. James Bartholomew, son of General Bartholomew, presented the portrait to the county in 1895. A similar portrait, painted by James New of Salem, Indiana, now hangs in the Bartholomew County Historical Society museum. Both are important historic early Indiana paintings.

Lt. Col. Bartholomew commanded the Indiana Militia Infantry in the Tippecanoe Campaign, where his troops stood fast in the drizzling rain and darkness of the early morning of November 7, 1811, against the murderous gunfire and howling attacks of the Indians. He personally led a bayonet charge by regular troops to rout the Indians in a hand to hand fight attacking his section of the American line ------truly a Hero of Tippecanoe. He was a State Senator in the General Assembly, which established Bartholomew County.

For over a century this courthouse has represented to the citizens of Bartholomew County the dignity and fairness of our justice and the integrity and responsibility of our public servants, for no one could serve here without coming under its influence. After more than a century this courthouse remains a useful monument to the pioneers of Bartholomew County who had the vision and faith in the future to build so well.

from: www.bartholomewco.com/history/index.php