Long before Sevierville became the bustling gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, it was a quiet, isolated community surrounded by forest. Reaching it meant solitary winds along rough roads that hugged the rivers and foothills- far removed from the kind of traffic the town sees in modern times. All of that is what makes its towering courthouse so remarkable! It’s a bold architectural statement even today.

A couple of weeks ago, Visit Fort Wayne rolled out its “Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown” program, which throws open the doors to some of the city’s best-known landmarks. For one afternoon, people get to step inside places like the Lincoln Bank Tower, the Embassy Theatre, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, and the Botanical Conservatory- all for free! My Aunt Connie and I took advantage of the opportunity seven years ago and spent the day exploring the Allen County Courthouse. I snapped a handful of quick iPhone shots to remember the incredible building by.

Between 2014 and 2017, I set out to visit every historic courthouse in Indiana. In fits and starts, I actually pulled it off! Courthouses became my calling card for a while and, ever since, people have asked me the same question: “Which one’s your favorite?” It’s tough to answer, but after revisiting my notes and memories, I’ve finally narrowed the list down to my top five. At least I think I have- for now.

I’ve been to about fifty of Ohio’s courthouses. Aside from a skyscraper in downtown Columbus, most have been relatively squat. Nothing prepared me for the Wood County Courthouse in Bowling Green: the landmark commands the skyline, soaring 195 feet above downtown! On the gloomy day I visited, its tower could easily be spotted from the I-75 exit two miles away. On a clear day, you can probably see it from much farther. 

When most people think of historic courthouses, they picture columns, carvings, and monumental stairs worn smooth by more than a century of footsteps. Delaware County’s fourth courthouse has none of those things, and that’s exactly why it matters. Completed more than half a century ago, the Delaware County Building traded grandeur for a stripped-down modern structure that was as bold as it has proven to be controversial. Today, it stands as a rare and well-preserved civic landmark. The building deserves to be recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.

Vevay might just be Indiana’s most stunning county seat. Tucked along the banks of the Ohio River and framed by gentle, rolling hills, the town completely floored me on my first visit. Honestly, I’d move there in a heartbeat- partly for the views, and partly because there’s a hexagonal privy on the courthouse lawn. How could I resist?

It’d been nearly a full decade since I found myself in Peru, Indiana, at the tail end of one of my early courthouse photo trips. The light was fading, rain had started to fall, and my old digital point-and-shoot just couldn’t keep up. I always meant to return for better photos, but life kept getting in the way. Fortunately, that changed a few weekends ago: I returned to Peru with time for the Miami County Courthouse, but I was there to see the circus. 

It’s not every day you stumble across a forgotten courthouse, let alone one that’s nearly two-hundred years old. Many historic governmental buildings -even the modest ones- are preserved with pride or at least commemorated in some other way. When I found the long-abandoned Dearborn County Courthouse in Wilmington, I was struck by just how rare and poignant a sight it was! The building was weathered, boarded up, and overlooked. What happened? 

I don’t find myself in West Virginia too often, but a cousin’s wedding a few years back gave me the perfect excuse to squeeze in a courthouse tour. I managed to hit seven in total, including everything from towering Art Deco landmarks to rugged Richardson Romanesque gems. The one that really stuck with me, though, was the unusual Lewis County Courthouse in Weston.