I began collecting courthouse postcards after finishing my tour of all of the state’s ninety-two counties. Many of the cards I tracked down showed buildings that had long since vanished, which made them them tiny windows into a past I never encountered. Then, out of the blue, someone contacted me about creating an updated Indiana courthouse book. He hoped to use my writing, and before long, a proof copy landed on my doorstep. I mailed him my entire postcard collection -six or seven years ago now- and never heard a word back.
Before I packed up my postcard collection and shipped it off for what ended up being forever, I guess, I took the time to scan my favorites. Thank goodness I did. In no particular order, here are a few more of the old courthouse postcards that still stand out to me the most.
The Randolph County Courthouse in Winchester, Indiana
Originally built in 1877, the Randolph County Courthouse was two stories tall with a high mansard roof and an ornate clock tower. Its architect, self-trained J.C. Johnson, rose to prominence in the Midwest and designed the courthouse to match the Second Empire style popular during the Victorian era. By and large, the building appears the same today as it did when it was constructed 140 years ago.
Unfortunately, the 1954 obliteration of the courthouse’s clock tower, along with its mansard roof, meant the loss of a Winchester landmark visible from miles away. Thankfully, officials decided to restore it! The project was completed in the fall of 2011 as workers guided the last piece of the new tower to its final destination 132 feet in the air. After 57 years, Randolph County was on the map again with a new, old courthouse visible from miles around.
The Marion County Courthouse in Indianapolis, Indiana
Marion County’s old courthouse was once a sight to behold: An Indianapolis Daily Sentinel editorial written the year it opened went so far as to describe the structure as “one of the finest, handsomest and solidest piles in the West,” and “an enduring monument to the skill, integrity, and honesty of Isaac M. Hodson, the architect.”…