Henry County Courthouse (Indiana)

The Henry County Courthouse is a historic courthouse located in New Castle, Henry County, Indiana, USA, on the land designated as court house square by the Henry County Commissioners. The Court House was built between 1865–1869 at a cost of $120,000. An annex was added in 1905 at a cost of $44,000.[2]

Henry County Courthouse
Front and side of the courthouse
LocationCourthouse Sq., New Castle, Indiana
Coordinates39°55′51″N 85°22′16″W
Area1.3 acres (0.53 ha)
Built1866
ArchitectIsaac Hodgson
Architectural styleSecond Empire, Italianate, Renaissance Revival
NRHP reference No.81000013[1]
Added to NRHPApril 2, 1981

When it was built the commissioners wanted a fireproof courthouse. They did not want to see the courthouse burn again as it had in 1865. Architect Isaac Hodgson provided them with what they wanted, but with a mansard roof and a 110-foot clock tower. The mansard roof was unusual for a midwestern public building in the 1860s. It became popular later, but the Henry County Court House was probably the earliest example of the style for public buildings in the midwest.[2]

Henry County claims the distinction of being the Raintree County described in Ross Lockridge, Jr.'s book Raintree County in part because the Henry County Court House is pictured inside the front cover of the book and the book includes references to places in Henry County.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.[1] It is located in the New Castle Commercial Historic District.

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)" (Searchable database). Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Retrieved 2016-04-01. Note: This includes Debra Beetem (October 1979). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Henry County Courthouse" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-04-01. and Accompanying photographs.
  • The Magnificent 92: Indiana Courthouses, by Will Counts and John Dilts, copyright 1991.


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