Indiana boasts an abundance of historic courthouses. Only eight of the state’s ninety-two counties no longer feature one! The modern government centers vary in architectural appeal, but many preserve an artifact or two from their predecessors. One of the most striking relics can be found in Logansport, where the Cass County Government Building features the clock from the 1888 courthouse it replaced.
Cass County was formed in 1829. Courts were initially held at the Mansion House, a hotel that stood in Logansport at the corner of Fourth and Market Streets1. In 1836, officials awarded Joseph Willis $30 to draft plans for a two-story structure built of cut stone. Construction took longer than expected, but the courthouse was finally completed in 1844 for $16,3932. With a clock tower and spire, it was considered one of the finest in the state3.
The first Cass County Courthouse is said to have featured extraordinary acoustics. When it came time to build again, the original plan was to knock the elderly building down and replace it with a brand-new structure. Fortunately, it was saved thanks to some last-minute lobbying by a judge and a group of local attorneys who raved about the courtroom’s sonic qualities4! Chicago architect John S. McKean added new offices, public areas, and a 75-foot clock tower5 to the front of the structure in 18886.
Unfortunately, the expanded building didn’t hold up to the test of time. Historic courthouses may make striking architectural statements, but they’re challenging to maintain. Intricate rooflines, chimneys, and other decorative elements often require extensive upkeep, and many of these features were stripped from the old Cass County Courthouse during a 1953 renovation. The most dramatic change was with the clock tower, which lost its dome in what can only be described as an unfortunate decapitation.
Faced with a compromised and cramped courthouse, Cass County officials decided to build again in the 1970s. Erected just nineteen feet west of its predecessor, the Cass County Government Center was dedicated on November 11, 1979. The building was hailed as a major upgrade from the aging courthouse it replaced and received praise for its cleanliness and convenience. The Logansport Pharos-Tribune didn’t hold back in its assessment, noting, among other things, that “the spic and span public restrooms in the building are a delight to use—far different from the shamefully dirty outdoor toilets that used to stand next to the old courthouse7.”
Although the old outside bathrooms said goodbye, not everything was lost when the old courthouse was demolished. A local history committee preserved key artifacts like the building’s clocks, cornerstone, and interior artwork. The clocks and cornerstone soon found a new home in a standalone brick tower at the northeast corner of the campus. When I first visited in 2015, the Cass County Veterans Memorial Clock Tower quickly became my favorite feature.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but history has a way of repeating itself. As it turns out, the Cass County Government Center was aging poorly when I visited, just like its predecessor had. A construction flaw meant that exterior panels had been installed in a way that allowed water to seep inside! A few months after my visit, officials embarked on a $4.3 million renovation project to rectify things. Along with other improvements, workers replaced the faulty paneling, installed a new roof, and even found room for the old clock in a striking new parapet.
It’s been ten years since work was completed, but the clock still stands atop the Government Center as a reminder of Logansport’s architectural past. When I returned to the building in 2018, I was astonished by the transformation. The renovation had preserved both function and history!
Logansport’s historic courthouse clock no longer towers over the city as it once did on a tower, but it remains a prominent link to the past. The clock’s presence carries weight as a piece of history present in one of Indiana’s few modern courthouses, and it remains as part of Cass County’s dedication to honoring its history.
Sources Cited
1 Deacon, J. “Cass County”. American Courthouses. 2008. Web. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
2 (See footnote 2).
3 Enyart, David. “Cass County” Indiana County Courthouse Histories. ACPL Genealogy Center, 2010-2018. Web. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
4 (See footnote 3).
5 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Logansport, Cass County, Indiana (1898). Sanborn Map Company. Web. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
6 Courthouse History. Keith Vincent. 2018. Web. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
7 A New County Government Building (1979, November 11). The Logansport Pharos-Tribune. p. 4.
8 “Renovations underway at Cass County Government Building.” Cass County Online. Existential Media, LLC 2018. Web. December 16, 2018.
