Wayne County, Indiana's Courthouse

Since Wayne County was established in 1810, it has had four courthouses. The current one, located at 301 East Main Street in Richmond, was completed in 1893. The architect for the project was James W. McLaughlin of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Architectural Style

The style chosen for the courthouse was Romanesque Revival, popularized by Henry Hobson Richardson, a flamboyant graduate of Harvard and student at the Exole des Beaux-Arts in Paris from 1860-62. Richardson is often termed the father of modern architecture in the United States. His designs emphasized horizontal lines, rounded arches and masses of materials, often rough-cut stone. The Wayne County courthouse shows many similarities to the Allegheny County Courthouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which was finished in 1887.

Construction Materials

Materials were gray granite from Concord, New Hampshire, lighter gray oolitic limestone from Lawrence County, Indiana, and red roof tile from Akron, Ohio. It required 600 car loads of Indiana limestone and 3 million bricks to construct it. The project employed 125 stone cutters on site to cut the stone to fit. The contractor, Aaron Campfield, used steam powered hoists to lift the stone into place.

Interior Features

The interior includes a grand marble staircase and an open well surrounded by open galleries. Wainscoting is marble and the woodwork is oak.

Renovations and Expansion

In 1976-1978 the county refurbished the courthouse and completed construction of a new administration building just east of the 1893 building. The new building is L-shaped with sloping glass walls and now houses most of the county offices. The tile roof on the original courthouse was replaced with grey slate.

National Register of Historic Places

The Wayne County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It is Building #78000042.

Links to Learn More

• Wayne County Government website
• History of the Wayne County, IN Courthouse
• Wayne County Courthouse, Built in America, American Memory, Library of Congress
• Stone in the Wayne County Courthouse
• James W. McLaughlin on Wikipedia
• Bio of James W. McLaughlin, Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati
• Bio of James W. McLaughlin, The Becker Collection, Boston College
• Shilitos Department Store Building in Cincinnati - also designed by James W. McLaughlin
• View photos of this and previous Wayne County, Indiana courthouses.

Locate It!

View Larger Map

References:

• The Magnificent 92 Indiana Courthouses, by Jon Dilts, Rose Bud Press, Bloomington, Indiana
• "Old Richmond Historical District Walking Tour" brochure, published by the Richmond/Wayne County Convention and Tourism Bureau

Location

301 East Main Street
Richmond, Indiana
Map

Mailing Address:
Wayne County Government
401 East Main Street
Richmond, IN  47374

Hours

8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Monday
8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Tuesday thru Friday
Hours may vary by office.

Contact

Phone: 765.973.9200
Toll-Free: 888.720.8402
Website: http://www.co.wayne.in.us/

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