Most of Indiana’s courthouses are formidable symbols of justice, power, and authority. Several soar to the heights of skyscrapers, and some are modern skyscrapers! That said, you’ve got to travel pretty far to find a courthouse that tops two hundred feet. The Vigo County Courthouse in Terre Haute is close, and it’s one of the finest in the state.
Vigo County was established in 1818. Terre Haute became county seat shortly afterward, and officials met in the homes of businessmen Truman Blackman and Curtis Gilbert1. The county’s first actual courthouse, a two-story brick structure, was completed in 1822.
Officials decided to renovate the forty-four-year-old courthouse in 1866, and they remodeled a nearby office building to serve as temporary quarters. Unfortunately, the project fell through. The refurbished office space wound up serving the county for twenty-two years2!
Commissioners hired architect Samuel Hannaford to plan a new courthouse in 1884. Hannaford was a true pro, responsible for three hundred structures over his lifetime. In addition to Ohio’s Greene, Washington, and Monroe County Courthouses, he designed Cincinnati landmarks like City Hall, Music Hall, the Elsinore Arch, and the Cincinnattian Hotel3.
I’ve only been to one other Hannaford building, the Greene County Courthouse in Xenia. That structure is wildly different from the Second Empire masterpiece he built in Terre Haute4, and perhaps that was on purpose5. Second Empire architecture features mansard roofs, elaborate ornamentation, and symmetry that reflected the opulence of mid-19th century France. Maybe Hannaford’s design referred to the French explorers who were the first to settle in the Vigo County area. Their location above the Wabash River was the “highland,” which translates to Terre Haute.
Possible tributes aside, the Vigo County Courthouse was completed after four years of work. Historically, constituents entered the Vigo County Courthouse through pavilions at the center of each of its sides6. Although the building was erected with four monumental stairways, only a single example facing US-41 remains today. Stairs like those are few and far between these days because of accessibility concerns, and the remaining set is one of the building’s best features.
The clock tower and dome of the Vigo County Courthouse are what make it dominate the skyline of Terre Haute. The dome caps a triple-tiered octagonal tower that rises from the center of the roof. If you want to go to the top, start in the raised basement under the rotunda. You’ll be greeted by murals depicting Vigo County’s early history.
Next, you’ll head up to the second floor. There, you can see the antique clock that kept time in the tower until 2011. From the clock, a marble stair takes you to the third floor of the courthouse. It’s the perfect opportunity to marvel at a phenomenal view of the rotunda from above and below7.
A back hallway takes you to a bare metal stairway. This next level gives you an opportunity to inspect the daisy that caps the interior dome. Around the stained glass, the inside of the tower is made up of unfinished bricks, most of which feature names and dates carved over the years. Don’t look down, by the way- you’re walking on wooden slats until you get to the next curving stair!
Next up is the courthouse bell. “BY HIS WILL $500. OF THE COST OF THIS BELL WERE PRESENTED BY FRANCIS VIGO, VIGO COUNTY IND. A.D. 1887,” it says. It’s interesting to note that the bell never swings. Instead, it’s struck by a swinging hammer, the original. It was designed that way.
A ladder takes you to the clock faces. Until the original clock was replaced, someone had to clamber up all those stairs and ladders to adjust it! It’d be worth it to me, though, since the rounded profile of the dome really shows its presence in this space.
Another ladder takes you to the cupola. Before you reach the summit, you’ll see a hatch marked “Dome Sweet Dome8.” Climb out and feast your eyes on Terre Haute from 200 feet. You’ll be blown away- maybe literally! It’s windy up there.
I haven’t been on the tour, but just describing the trip to the top of the Vigo County Courthouse was exhilarating. Fortunately, “The Haute” channel on YouTube has the journey I described in a high-resolution video. If you’re a courthouse fan like me, I urge you to watch the in-depth exposition. Joining along for a trip into the hidden reaches of this monumental building was a lot of fun.
With unique heights and designs, each of Indiana’s courthouses are a testament to the diverse tapestry of our state’s history. Vigo County maintains one of Indiana’s true architectural gems! The courthouse has stood proudly near the center of Terre Haute for more than a hundred and thirty years, and its shining dome is still the crown jewel of the Wabash Valley.
TL:DR
Vigo County (pop. 108,291, 17/92)
Terre Haute (pop. 61,025)
56/92 photographed
Built: 1888
Cost: $500,000 ($13.3 million in 2016)
Architect: Samuel Hannaford
Style: Second Empire
Courthouse Square: Shelbyville Square
Height: 200 feet
Current Use: Courts and some county offices
Photographed: 3/13/16
Sources Cited
2 Enyart, David. “Vigo County” Indiana County Courthouse Histories. ACPL Genealogy Center, 2010-2018. Web. Retrieved 1/5/20.
3 Courthouse History. Keith Vincent. 2018. Web. Retrieved 1/5/20.
4 Indiana Landmarks (2013). Vigo County. Indianapolis. Indiana Landmarks. Web. Retrieved 1/5/20.
5 The Road from Detroit to the Illinois 1774. In Michigan Pioneer and History Collections, V10 p. 248. Archived March 21, 2008. Web. Retrieved 1/5/19.
6 Stephen C. Gordon and Elisabeth H. Tuttle (11 December 1978). “National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Samuel Hannaford & Sons Thematic Resources in Hamilton County”. National Park Service.
7 National Register of Historic Places, Downtown Terre Haute Multiple Resource Area, Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana, National Register # 83000160.
8 “THE VIGO COUNTY COURTHOUSE”. The Haute. YouTube. January 2, 2018. Web. Retrieved 1/5/20.
