County courthouses served as more than the seat of government in the late 1800s. Aside from administering justice, bell towers and cupolas were crucial beacons for travelers who could see them from miles away! I finished my project to go to all of Indiana’s county courthouses in 2017, but I longed for a tool to help me compare their heights. Today, I’ve sort of made one.
I’m a fan of top ten lists. They help me organize information in a way that’s easy to understand, and that’s why I made this ranking of Indiana courthouse heights. I haven’t cited my sources this time around, but all my figures come from NRHP nomination forms, old Sanborn fire insurance maps, and published works like The Magnificent 92 Indiana Courthouses.
Here, now, are Indiana’s ten tallest courthouses in ascending order.
10- LaPorte County (172 feet)
Plans for the LaPorte County Courthouse were drawn up by Brentwood Tolan. Built in 1892 for $382,000, the Richardson Romanesque structure rises 172 feet above downtown LaPorte. It’s my favorite Hoosier courthouse, and it still serves in that capacity.
9- Hancock County (181 feet)
The Hancock County in Greenfield was built in 1897. Designed by Wing & Mahurin, the 181-foot Richardson Romanesque structure cost $242,000. Hancock County has grown by leaps and bounds since 1897. It’s remarkable that the building still serves as the county’s courthouse today.
8- Rush County (196 feet)
Three of Indiana’s courthouses tie for eighth, seventh, and sixth tallest. Rush County’s is the oldest. Architects A.W. & E.A. Rush designed Rushville’s Richardson Romanesque building. It cost $257,400 when it was completed in 1896. The structure has been lovingly cared for and still houses the Rush County courts.
7- St. Joseph County (196 feet)
South Bend’s County-City Building was completed in 1971 for $8.9 million. It, too, rises 196 feet tall. Architects Maurer, Van Run, Ogden, & Natali planned the International-style tower. Although St. Joseph County retains two older courthouses built in 1855 and 1898, the modern building serves as its “Courthouse 3” in addition to its municipal duties.
6- Vigo County (196 feet)
The Vigo County Courthouse is one of my favorites. Completed in 1888, it doesn’t resemble any of architect Samuel Hannaford’s other designs like the Greene County Courthouse in Ohio. Seated just west of downtown Terre Haute, the Vigo County Courthouse reaches a height of 196 feet and cost $500,000. It holds courts and some county offices today.
5- Tipton County (206 feet)
I suspect the last three courthouses might reach the 200-foot mark if their flagpoles were included, but Tipton County’s is the first to officially clear the bar. Built in 1896, the structure tops out at 206 feet! Architect Adolf Sherrer designed the building in the Romanesque Revival style. At an expense of $183,411, the towering courthouse still serves its original purpose today. It dwarves the other buildings in tiny Tipton, none of which seem to reach more than three stories.
4- Vanderburgh County (216 feet)
Outside of Tipton, Indiana’s most prominent cities tended to have the tallest courthouses. Architect Henry Wolters provided Vanderburgh County’s Beaux Arts design for Evansville. Completed in 1891 for $466,000, it rises to a height of 216 feet. The grand old building was used as the county courthouse until 1969! Thanks to careful stewardship, it’s available for events and tours today. I got to explore the building when I was about six, and the experience struck wit me. The old Vanderburgh County Courthouse is another sentimental favorite of mine.
3- Tippecanoe County (226 feet)
Lafayette is Indiana’s tenth most populated city if you count the Indianapolis suburbs, but it rises fifth if you don’t. The Tippecanoe County Courthouse has dominated downtown since 1884! James Alexander designed the eclectic $500,000 building, which rises to a height of 226 feet. Several significant renovations have allowed it continue to serve as the county courthouse for nearly 140 years. The height of its dome is only apparent if you go across the river.
2- Allen County (239 feet)
At 239 feet, the Allen County Courthouse in Fort Wayne is taller than state capitols in New Mexico, Delaware, Virginia, Arizona, North Carolina, Hawaii, Nevada, Alaska, Alabama, Vermont, and twenty others. Designed by Brentwood Tolan, the $817,000 building still serves as the county courthouse. It’s a national treasure. Teddy Roosevelt was scheduled to speak at its dedication, and I’ve toured it several times.
1- Marion County (372 feet)
We all knew it would end this way, didn’t we? Designed by Allied Architects & Engineers, the 372-foot Indianapolis City-County Building was completed in 1962 at a cost of $25.2 million. It replaced a Beaux Arts courthouse that rose 280 feet into the sky. In 2022, court facilities moved from the City-County Building to the new Community Justice Campus. The new courthouse rises eleven stories, but that’s not enough to to crack this list.
I’m glad I haven’t met my seven-year-old self in some kind of time warp. He’d chew me out for including modern structures like the City-County Building and the County-City Building in my list of Indiana’s tallest courthouses! I get it, but buildings become eligible for NRHP listing once they’re fifty years old. The modern City-County and County-City buildings in Indianapolis and South Bend have both have passed that mark in recent years, and they’re historic now.
It might be time to write about Indiana’s shortest soon.
I hate to break it to you, but your No. 1 has not been a court house for about a year. Marion County has followed Muncie and created a “Justice Center”. I don’t like the term. It is indisputable that there are courts in a building. Whether Justice resides there is probably more about opinion than fact.
LOL. I hate the name too, and I know. As far as the list goes, if Noblesville’s old courthouse cracked the top ten, I’d have included it as well.
Also, the next tallest if I left Marion County out was another three way tie and I was running out of patience making the graphics!