Decatur County Courthouse (Indiana)

The Decatur County Courthouse is a historic courthouse building located at Greensburg, Decatur County, Indiana. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[1] It is best known for having a growing tree on its roof.

Decatur County Courthouse
Decatur County Courthouse, July 2019
LocationCourthouse Square, Greensburg, Indiana
Coordinates39°20′13.58″N 85°29′0.43″W
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1854 (1854)
Architectural styleRomanesque
Part ofGreensburg Downtown Historic District (ID95001113)
NRHP reference No.73000014[1]
Added to NRHPApril 27, 1973

History

The original courthouse was built in the 1820s when a log building was erected.[2] On May 14, 1822, the first board of directors of the court met at the house of Thomas Hendricks, the owner of the double log building.[3] A few years later, a small brick building, measuring two stories high and forty feet square, was built on the public square. Court was held in this structure until 1855. Building of the present structure commenced in 1850; it was completed in 1861, at a cost of $100,000. At the time, it was called the finest courthouse in the state.[2][4]

In the early 1870s, it was noticed that a tree was growing on the roof. Soon four more trees were counted on the roof of the one hundred and ten foot steeple. This rapid growth of trees raised fears among county officials that permanent damage would be caused to the tower. In 1888, a steeplejack was hired to help workers scale the building and remove a few of the shrubs. Of the two trees left, one eventually reached a height of fifteen feet, with a base diameter of five inches. At some point, another tree began to grow on the southeast corner of the tower and reached a large height within a few years. As this tree was growing, another tree sprung up on the southwest corner.[3]

The exact species of these trees has been a matter of debate. The Smithsonian Institution stated that the trees were large-tooth aspens, but a more recent study by Purdue University foresters has showed that the current tree is a mulberry.[5]

In 1994, a renovation and expansion of the courthouse took place on the north end of the building. The floorspace of the building was more than doubled. At that time, the stucco that covered the building was removed and the original brick facing was revealed.[3]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Haston, Mark F. (7 April 2008). "Marc's Old Greensburg Indiana Photos". Mark Haston. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  3. "HISTORY OF THE CITY OF GREENSBURG". City of Greensburg, Indiana. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  4. "Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)" (Searchable database). Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Retrieved 2015-08-01. Note: This includes Dale G. Myers (March 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Decatur County Courthouse" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-09-01. and Accompanying photographs.
  5. "Greensburg's famous tower tree", decaturcounty.in.gov. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
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