Tag: kentucky120

Bullitt County Courthouse in Shepherdsville, Ky.

Bullitt County, Kentucky, has an astoundingly large amount of judicial space. I even got a little confused when attending a hearing there as I wasn’t sure of which building to enter!

Shepherdsville was founded in 1793 where the old Wilderness Trail crossed Salt River. Bullitt County was formed four years later, on January 1, 1797, from lands taken from Nelson and Jefferson counties. This Beaux-Arts style courthouse is only the second to occupy Shepherdsville. It was constructed in 1900-01.

Salt licks in the area were important to attracting early settlers. The first commercial saltworks in Kentucky were established in Bullitt County, and the area experienced rapid growth in the 1800s due to the presence of the railroad that ran from Louisville to Nashville.

Source: KDL (Frank C. Dunn Collection)

Not suprisingly, whiskey distilling remains an important industry in the county. The drive form Shepherdsville to Bardstown features both the Jim Beam distillery and Four Roses. I highly recommend the route.

The majority of judicial activities now occur in the new judicial center which is located behind the old Beaux Arts building. The old courthouse now houses the Bullitt County History Museum.

Courthouses and BBQ. Plenty in Owensboro!

Daviess County Courthouse – Owensboro, Ky.

Daviess County was established in 1815 from portions of Ohio County and is named for the lawyer who unsuccessfully prosecuted Vice President Aaron Burr for treason. Strong southern ties made Daviess County a southern hotbed. According to the Kentucky Almanac, Lincoln only received seven votes in the election of 1860. A large confederate monument stands on the courthouse lawn.

Confederate Monument – Owensboro, Ky.

Owensboro, originally Owensborough, is an interesting town. Though its cut off from Interstate access, its still the fourth largest city in the Commonwealth. Its location along the Ohio River spurred its early growth, along with the booming tobacco industry in the Green River region and its bourbon production following the distillery boom of the 1880.

Owensboro functioned as a manufacturing hub until the 1970s. On a more personal level, my wife’s family is from this area, and any visitor to Owensboro owes it to themselves to try the barbecue: Moonlite for the experience, Old Hickory for the quality.

Historic Public Buildings of Daviess County ca. 1864
Credit: David Rumsey Historical Map Collection

This is the fifth courthouse to occupy the site. All the previous courthouses were quite interesting, the third one having been burned by Confederate troops in retribution for black Union soldiers utilizing the building as barracks.

The fourth courthouse was Italianate with a huge cupola on top, but it was condemned and removed in 1927. It was also reportedly haunted. This fifth courthouse was built in 1963, after nearly 25 years of attempting to obtain funding for its construction. In 1989, a Judicial Center was also opened.

Hancock County Courthouse in Hawesville a Favorite

Hancock County Courthouse – Hawesville, Ky.
Photo: NRK

The tiny hamlet of Hawesville, Kentucky is located just upriver from Owensboro. It sits on a high bluff across the river from Cannelton, Indiana.

Of all of the courthouses I have visited in small towns, this was my favorite. Completed in 1867, it is the second courthouse on this site. It is on the National Historic Registry, and was restored in 1978. The two-and-one-half story five bay by three bay rectangular courthouse retains so much character. According to the National Register of Historic Places, the courtroom occupies the majority of the second floor.

Although built during the midst of America’s tumultuous Civil War, the building has a “singularly tranquil and substantial architectural presence.” My favorite part, however, is this quote from the Hancock Clarion newspaper concerning the building specifically, which can generally be applied to the important role that Kentucky’s courthouses have played in our towns both small and large:

It was in this building that many of the county residents’ grandparents and great-grandparents received their high school diplomas at graduation. It was in this building that lovely ladies and dashing young gentlemen danced at gala balls and receptions generations ago. In the courtroom on the second floor men of state, governors and Congressmen, spoke.

The courthouse was described as one of the “handsomest and least altered from the original condition of any in Kentucky.” I have to agree.

Henderson County’s Fourth of Five Courthouses

Henderson County Courthouse – Henderson, Ky. Photo: NRK

For me, the Henderson County Courthouse was a breath of fresh air. So often, when a county decides to build something new to replace the old courthouse, they build something that looks like a Soviet-era bunker.

Former Henderson County Courthouse Source: KDL

Regardless of my opinion of the new courthouse, the demolition of the previous courthouse (pictured at right) was hotly disputed. The decision in the 1960s to destroy the former, circa 1843, courthouse occurred only after a major dispute with preservationists.

In the end, preservationists succeeding only in delaying the demolition of the ca. 1843 courthouse by four years through the use of a restraining order.

That previous courthouse was a two-story brick Greek Revivial with cupola which served as a prison, cookhouse, fort, and Civil War headquarters and hospital during its 120 years as the heart of Henderson County.

The above courthouse is the fourth in Henderson, and it sits on an enormous courthouse lawn. In fact, the site is allegedly the site of an ancient Indian mound.

Bronze Reliefs. Photo: NRK

This courthouse has these amazing dark marble columns around a semi-circular portico that are both modern and reference to the past. It was built in 1964-65 and cost just over half a million dollars. There are some amazing bronze reliefs near the entrances that detail a few notable events history of the county. The one below shows the surveying of the land that would become Henderson.

As has become the standard in Kentucky, what we have described as the Henderson County courthouse is not, actually, the current courthouse. Like so many other counties, the newer Henderson Judicial Center was completed in 2003 for just under $10 million.

Ohio River at Henderson, Ky. Photo: NRK.

Henderson was established on an existing settlement known as Red Banks. Due to its position on a bluff, the river town didn’t flood as much as others, and served as an important commerce point due to its position at the confluence of the Ohio and Green Rivers. When it was incorporated in 1810, one of the town’s 160 residents was John J. Audubon, the noted ornithologist, who operated a general store.

Antebellum Mason County Courthouse Part of Historic Downtown Maysville, Ky.

Mason County Courthouse – Maysville, Ky.
Maysville is one of the great hidden treasures in Kentucky. If you haven’t been to Maysville, you owe yourself the trip.

Mason County is named after founding father and namesake of college basketball bracket-buster George Mason. The area was settled early – Christopher Gist settled the area in 1751, with Simon Kenton and Thomas Williams among the first permanent settlers. While conflicts with natives made the area a dangerous place for settlers early on, Maysville would later enjoy a nationwide reputation as a harbor town and port. The town was originally called Limestone, leading to the naming of Limestone Street in Lexington. The road between Maysville and Lexington was among the most heavily travelled routes in Kentucky during the era of the steamboat.

Maysville retains much of its historic character. The area surrounding the courthouse is filled with beautiful historic homes. This Greek revival courthouse was completed in 1846, and was constructed in anticipation of the county seat being relocated to Maysville.

Fleming County Courthouse in Flemingsburg, Ky.

Fleming County Courthouse – Flemingsburg, Ky. (Photo: NRK)
I don’t know if you can quite get the feel of Flemingsburg from this picture, but this neocolonial courthouse sits at the very top of a hill in a very hilly little town. This is the county’s third courthouse, and it was built on this site in 1952.
Source: UK Postcard Collection; KDL

This building replaced a courthouse built in 1830 (pictured, right), which was considered among the finest examples of Federal architecture. Apparently, the old building contained a good deal of intricate interior and exterior wood carvings which had been done by trained slave labor. The old building was demolished not due to poor condition, but because a donor had bequeathed money for the construction of a new courthouse. According to Carpenter’s Courthouse book, the building “unsuccessfully tries to emulate the style and details of the former building, including a modern fan doorway.”

The Flemingsburg Historic District file in the National Register reads that this courthouse is a “nondescript public structure replaced the circa 1830 federal square-plan courthouse that was built by Eckles and Stockwell. The earlier square-plan courthouse not only represented one of the earliest courthouse designs to be used in Kentucky, but also stood as a monument to the strong building traditions of the Fleming County community.”

Fleming County has had a few really interesting residents over the years, including a famous Union spy (James J. Andrews) and one of the men who raised the flag over Iwo Jima (Franklin R. Sousley).

Photo: AOC

[ed. note] In 2009, ground was broken on the new Fleming County Judicial Center. A number of historic structures were demolished to make way for this new 32,800 square foot judicial center. The dedication is scheduled for later this month, February 21, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.

Lewis County Courthouse in Vanceburg, Ky.

Lewis County Courthouse – Vanceburg, Ky.
(Photo: NRK)

It’s really hard to get to Vanceburg, Kentucky. Like many of the counties I have visited on this Kentucky 120 journey, you really have to have a good reason to visit Lewis County. Vanceburg is one of those great Kentucky river cities that are so tough to reach.

This courthouse is the fourth in the county, and the second to sit on this site. It was built in 1938-40, and was modeled after Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Like so many others, it was built with Public Works money. It cost just under $100,000. The rock for the building was quarried only four miles from Vanceburg.

As I believe Peter noted in a previous post, this is the site of one of the few Union Civil War Monuments in the state. (ed. note: the only Union monument on a courthouse lawn south of the Mason-Dixon line!)

ky120: Jefferson County Courthouse (Louisville, Ky.)

Jefferson County Courthouse – Louisville, Ky.

The Jefferson County Courthouse in Louisville has probably one of the more interesting stories behind its construction. It’s a bit of a Frankenstein’s monster of historic buildings.

Shryock Design for Jefferson Courthouse
(Photo: Clay Lancaster Slide Collection; KDL)

Construction began on this building – Louisville’s fourth courthouse – in 1837. The original architect was none other than Gideon Shryock, the notable architect profiled on this site a number of times. But Shryock’s original design isn’t really reflected in what you see above. The building was to have a six-column Doric portico, a cupola and additional porticos on the side.

Legend has it that the building was designed to draw the state capitol away from Frankfort, but such efforts were obviously unsuccessful. This movement’s primary proponent was Senator James Guthrie. The ultimate failure of making the building the new state capitol led to the building being known as “Guthrie’s Folly.”

The most interesting thing about this building is how it was affected by financially difficult times, in this instance the panic of 1837. I think it’s easy to categorize financial difficulties in the construction world as some sort of modern invention, but the empty Centrepointe lot in Lexington has historic company. Shortly after construction began, Shryock was either fired or left the project. In financially tough times, construction stalled. The building was only partially finished when the city and county governments took up occupancy in 1842. The courthouse stood unfinished until 1858, when construction was taken over by Albert Fink, a bridge designer and engineer for the L&N Railroad. Fink simplified Shryock’s design and almost all of the current elements are his. When the courthouse was completed, the Louisville Daily Journal called it an “elephantine monstrosity.” Ouch.
Jefferson County Courthouse, ca. 1930
(Photo: Herald-Post; KDL)

It’s amazing how things can change. During urban renewal efforts in the 1940s, there was discussion about demolishing the building. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright offered a defense of the building, stating that though these are not the sorts of buildings that should be built today, it was important to preserve them.

The building was renovated in 1905 after a fire, and another major renovation was completed in 1981, in which many inappropriate architectural alterations were removed. The building was listed on the National Historic Register in 1972.

To me, the most interesting thing about this building is how easily it gets lost in downtown Louisville. Though once stood as the center of the community, it is totally overwhelmed by the skyscrapers that now surround it. I had read about its history years ago, but was confused when I was downtown and couldn’t find it. A couple of months ago, I was in downtown Louisville and realized that I had walked right in front of it. Crazy.

Morgan County Courthouse – West Liberty, Ky.

Morgan County Courthouse – West Liberty, Ky.
(Photo: Nate Kissel)

Morgan County has long been known as “the Bluegrass County of Eastern Kentucky,” due to its lush mountain valleys which are suitable for agricultural use. Others have described the county’s location as being where the “coal fields meet the outer Bluegrass.” The county seat, West Liberty, is so named because at the time of its incorporation, Pikeville (which lies to the East) was to be named Liberty. The town that is now Liberty, Ky. is in Casey County, in the south-central portion of the Commonwealth.

This courthouse is quite beautiful. It sits in the center of town and was built in 1907. It is the fourth courthouse on this site and is on the National Historic Register.

Martin County Courthouse – Inez, Ky.

Inez is a beautiful mountain town. In fact, it was once named Eden, but that had to change because another Kentucky town had already taken the name.

This courthouse was built from 1938 to 1941. It’s the fourth one built here. Inez lies only 21 miles east of Paintsville, and is one of the smallest county seats in the state. Population in 1990 was 511, according to the Kentucky Almanac.