Henderson County KyArchives History - Books .....Chapter VIII Court Houses 1887
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Book Title: History Of Henderson County, KY

CHAPTER VIII.

I HAVE stated in the first chapter, that when the first commissioned justices of
the County of Henderson met, that meeting was held in Bradley's Tavern in June,
1779. After organizing both the Court of Quarter Sessions and County Court, the
respective courts adjourned to meet in the old school house, as it was called,
without defining its location. This old hut, as it was nothing more, was leased,
or perhaps taken for the use of the two courts. Of this, however, the clerk
failed to leave any testimony. Whether it was used as a school house during the
interim of the courts, and vacated by the schools at those times, is a fact we
shall never know more about than is now known. This house was adjudged
inadequate for the purposes of the courts, and a committee was created for the
purpose of having such repairs and additions made to it as would make it both
comfortable and convenient. The school house, as I am best informed, stood in
the woods, corner of Main and Second Streets, on the spot where now stands the
two-story brick owned by Joseph Adams' estate, and occupied by Thos. Evans as a
grocery store. The Commissioners appointed to investigate its primitive build
and condition, were instructed to bring the cost of improving the house within
the limit of a fifty-dollar bill, and by no means to exceed that amount. The
means of the infant county at that time, as well as for many years thereafter,
were extremely limited, and to repeat a common expression, "A cut four-pence in
the eye of a pioneer was as big as a buffalo." On this account the greatest
caution had to be exercised in creating debts, even for necessary improvements.
The people were not taxed heavily, but there was no money of any consequence,
and no commercial relations to attract capital. The Commissioners experienced
great difficulty in getting the school house fitted up as the Justices wished,
and whatever became of it will never be known, from the fact the records from a
few months after this to 1816 are lost, therefore the story of the old school
house must come to a sudden and unsatisfactory termination. From old, worn,
mutilated papers found tied in a shapeless bundle, with strings which have
rotted from absolute old age, I have discovered enough to know that the courts
of the county continued to hold their meetings in the old school or some other
similar house until the year 1814, when they took possession and were installed,
in all of the pomp and ceremony attaching to occasions of that kind, in their
new Temple of Justice built on the site now occupied by the present Court House.

THE FIRST COURT HOUSE.

    At the January term of the County Court, held in the year 1813, Daniel
McBride, Samuel Hopkins, Jr., James M. Hamilton and Ambrose Barbour were
appointed commissioners to inquire into the expediency of building a new Court
House, and if expedient, to report a plan and specifications for the information
of the court This was soon done, and the plans and specifications drawn and
written by Samuel Hopkins, Jr., were adopted, and an order entered, that a Court
House be built of brick according to that plan with the variations in the same,
that there should be no gallery or jury rooms below, and such other changes in
the plan of the inside of said building, as the court should think proper. The
aforesaid Commissioners were authorized and instructed to contract for said
building, and superintend the work during its progress.

    On the sixth day of February, 1813, the Commissioners entered into contract
with Philip Barbour, at and for the sum of five thousand one hundred and forty
dollars to build the said Court House and deliver the keys to the Commissioners,
as per plans and specifications. The specifications of this house are
reproduced, not for their intrinsic worth, but as an architectural literary
ponderosity worthy of perusal. It is a settled fact that but few persons will be
interested, and perhaps but few will undertake the perusal of this long-winded
string of some man's brain, which had been neglected for a long time, and was
offered this opportunity of unloading. We doubt very much if the specifications
furnished for the Capital at Washington consumed more space or were more minute
in each and every particular. Here they are:

SPECIFICATIONS.

    "This house to be built of brick made in moulds not above nine inches long,
four and three-eighths inches  wide, and two and three-quarter inches thick or
deep, well and truly made, and burnt and laid in mortar made in the best manner
from cement. The house to be forty-four feet long, including the walls, and
twenty-eight feet wide in the clear-that is inclusive of the walls, from the
foundation to the surface of the earth of, say one foot at the base, to be three
bricks in length thick, from thence to the water table one foot to be two and a
half bricks length thick, from thence to the joists fourteen feet to be two
bricks lengths thick, thence to the top of the wall eight feet of one and a half
brick lengths thick. The gable ends to be one brick length thick, a chimney at
the one, and with a fire-place in the upper story of an appropriate size, for
the room for which it is intended, being twenty-eight feet square. There shall
be two doors below in the middle of each side of the house, that is one on each
side of equal length with the top of the windows, and made of two folds of
panels to each, each fold containing at least four panels, and worked on both
sides. The said doors are to be of a thickness suitable to the size thereof,
there shall be eight windows in the lower story, four of twenty-four lights
each, and four of twenty lights each. The glass of good quality and ten by
twelve inches in size, which windows are to be placed, the larger ones in the
sides at equal distance from the doors, and ends of the house, and the smaller
four in the two ends There shall be ten windows in the upper story of twenty
lights each, of the same size glass, to be placed six in the two sides and four
in the two ends. The frames for the said doors and windows shah be the most
durable timber, especially the doors, with double architraves, worked out of the
solid and good stone sills, suitable for the doors, to be worked and prepared
and fitted in said doors, in lieu of so much of the frame thereof. The house to
be well corniced with a plain cornice, proportioned to the size of the house in
heighth. The rafters to be well framed into the joist, and of suitable size to
their length and the magnitude of the building, and covered with shingles well
nailed on sheathing plank joined together. The shingles not to be more than four
inches wide eighteen inches long and not less than five-eights of an inch thick
at the but, well jointed and rounded, to be made of cypress, catalpa, sassafras
or walnut, or some kind of wood equally durable in the opinion of the
Commissioners, and shall show only one-third part of their length or less. The
inside of the building below shall be well floored from the Judge's stand so far
forward as to include the lawyers. The bar to be of well quartered plank, made
of oak or ash timbers, and the balance of the floor to be well laid with brick
placed edgewise. The Judge's seat to have a good flight of steps to ascend each
end to be ornamented with appropriate hand rails and banisters, the space for
said seat shall be ____ feet, well floored as below said seat, with a strong
seat quite across, fitted into the wall with arms raised thereon, imitating
chairs, which are to be three in number. The front of said seat shall be
ornamented with hand rails and banisters, with boards or tables whereon to write
or put papers, etc. The newel posts to be capped off with appropriate mouldings,
the hand rails and banisters to be ornamented, the first with mouldings and the
latter to be turned in a lathe. The jury boxes to be four in number, and the
lawyers' bar shall be made, formed and placed according to the directions of the
Commissioners. They shall be made and composed of railing and banisters, as
above mentioned, and shall have boards or tables whereon to write, put papers,
etc., fixed on the front part of the bar, a suitable and convenient stair-case
is to be formed with necessary hand-rails, banisters and ceiling, to ascend the
second story, which story shall be divided into three rooms, two at the end of
the house above the Judge's seat, and one at the other end, of such size as the
Commissioners may direct, with a fireplace as aforesaid to the larger room,
leaving a passage or entry between the rooms of each end across the width of the
house, so planned and placed and made as the Commissioners may direct. The upper
floor, shall as the lower floor, be made of good heart plank, of quartered oak
or ash timber, at least one and one-quarter inch thick, tongued and grooved
together, not less than one inch thick, quartered and plained on both sides,
except the swinging petition, which is to be of panneled work, and one and
one-half inches thick, and furnished with bolts for fastenings. The upper doors
shall be six pannels each, and well faced, each inside door and one outside door
are to have suitable knob locks, proportioned to the size of the door, and the
use of said locks. The other outside door is to be well secured with a
cross-bar. The windows to the lower story shall be furnished with good panneled
window shutters, at least one and one-quarter inches thick, each window to have
two folds of three pannels each well hinged with suitable fastenings or hooks
and catches on the inside thereof; there shall be suitable chair-boards and
wash-boards, both to the lower and upper rooms with appropriate mouldings. The
ends of all the naked flooring shall be arched over on the brick work, so as to
put on others hereafter without injuring the walls. Blind arches shall also be
turned over the lintels of the doors and windows for the like purpose. The
inside walls of the lower and upper rooms shall be plastered with good
mortar-that is the work shall be well done, the plastering below shall be
painted or stained as the Commissioners may direct, instead of being
whitewashed. The joists of the lower and upper rooms shall be ceiled with good
plank, not above fourteen inches wide, and three-quarters of an inch thick at
the best. The roof, windows and all the inside work of timber or plank shall be
painted as the Commissioners shall direct. Finally all the timber and material
of this building shall be of the best quality, and the work done in the best
possible manner. The walls of the house shall be built and the roof put on by
the fifteenth day of October. 1813. The stair-case put up, the rooms of the
upper story, the Judge's seat and lawyers' bar finished, and jury boxes made on
or before the first day of April, 1814, and the whole work completed on or
before the first day of October, 1814. The Commissioners reserve to themselves
the right of directing the dimensions of the frame work and different timbers
for the Court House."

    Mr. Barbour, the contractor, accepted the specifications, clearly of the
opinion no doubt, that no misunderstanding could arise, if length and silly
description in an instrument of writing was to be considered. He entered into
bond with James Bell and Samuel Hopkins, gentlemen, securities. The new temple
was completed according to contract and dedicated to Justice, as perhaps the
most magnificent edifice to be found anywhere in the western wilds. It soon
became the sine qua non, and at once most interesting to the inhabitants in
general, A two-story brick house with a dwarfish bell on its roof, encased in a
contrivance similar to a pigeon house, was one of those institutions too seldom
seen to be hooted at. It was believed Justice came from this new temple more
evenly balanced than when delivered from the old school house. Attorneys donned
new clothes, jurors were required at least to wash their faces before entering
its sacred walls, while eloquence grew grand, and was dished out with lavish
liberality. Yea, be it known, this costly structure, which came nigh being
written to death in the beginning, seated upon a beautiful mound, a mound
seemingly built for that purpose, was then the chief among the sights of the
town. But the beauty of this new house, looming up in the morning sunshine and
decreasing with the early twilight, was impaired by great forest trees in full
leaves-old monarchs, whose sap had left the root for the last time, undergrowth,
stumps and other unsightly surroundings. To remedy this, at the November County
Court, 1815, the first order concerning the improvement of the Public Square was
passed. It was "ordered that the improvement of the Court House square be let to
the lowest bidder. That the trees be topped, the ground grubbed and cleared of
the brush, undergrowth, underwood and dead trees, and inclosed with a post and
rail fence made of catalpa, sassafras., locust, mulberry or Cyprus timber, and
large blocks placed at the four places facing the four sides of the Court House,
of size to cross the fence. This work must be done in the best workman-like
manner. No security will be required, but the Commissioners will keep the money
until the work is completed."

DOWN ON AMUSEMENTS.

    For several years, indeed from its completion, the large room in the second
story of this Court House was used for all public purposes. It was the only hall
in the town; shows, concerts, balls, parties, dances and church entertainments
were all held in this room. From some cause, which the records failed to
explain, the Magistrates in 1820 became dissatified with this course, and by
order, placed the property under the control of the jailer, with peremptory
instructions to clear the Court House of all incumbrances and encroachments. The
jailer, failing to comprehend the meaning of the court, a subsequent order,
explanatory of the first, was passed, to wit: "The order heretofore passed by
this court, directing the jailer to take possession of the Court House, and to
remove therefrom all incumbrances and encroachments, is construed to apply only
to play actors, but the house may be used for any decent uses or purposes."

    This order was a terrible blow to the few professionals who traveled in
those early times, and whether it originated from a religious opposition or
dissatisfaction with one or more exhibitions, the record fails to tell. It is
sufficient to know that it was a sweeping order, and if for the punishment of
one or more troupes, eventuated in shutting out the whole fraternity. The new
Court House was used until the year 1822, without any expense to the county, but
at the April County Court the following order was entered of record: "Ordered
that Obediah Brown and Daniel McBride be appointed commissioners to have the
Court House underpinned with brick where decayed, and a brick floor laid down
and the judge's seat underpinned with brick."

    This building continued in the service of the courts of the county until 1843.

A SECOND COURT HOUSE BUILT.

    At the April court, 1840, it was determined that the Court House was
insufficient for the purpose of the county, whereupon it was "Ordered that
Thomas Towles, John G. Holloway, William Rankin, George Brown, James Powell and
John D. Anderson be and they are hereby appointed a committee to inquire into
the expediency and propriety of building a new Court House for this county; that
they report apian for the same and the probable cost thereof, a majority of all
the Justices in commission being present and concurring therein."

    At the following October court the committee reported. Whereupon it was
adjudged both expedient and necessary that a new Court House of sufficient
capacity to meet the demands of the times should be built, but the plan and cost
reported by the committee was rejected. Yet the court included in the levy made
at that meeting, the sum of the two thousand seven hundred dollars to be set
apart as the Court House fund. At the February term, 1842, Edmund H. Hopkins,
William Rankin and William D. Allison were appointed commissioners to draft a
plan for a Court House and make a report of the probable cost thereof. At the
April term the Commissioners reported, whereupon it was ordered, "That the said
Commissioners, with Thos. Towles, Sr., added, are instructed to reconsider the
report just made on the building of a Court House for the county, and so modify
the same as in their discretion that the whole cost of the building shall not
exceed-

TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS,

And that they advertise in some Louisville and Evansville newspaper; that the
building of the said Court House will be let to the lowest bidder at next May
County Court."

    At the May court the following order was made: "Ordered that Edmund H.
Hopkins, James Rouse, Willie Sugg and Larkin White be appointed commissioners to
let the building of a new Court House according to the plan and specifications
submitted to the court by Edmund H. Hopkins, Thomas Towles and William Rankin,
and this day having been duly advertised and made known, as the day for letting
the building of said new Court House. It is further ordered that the said
Commissioners proceed to let the same forthwith at public auction to the lowest
bidder, and take bond with security to be approved by the court."

  The new plan and specifications were received by the court and adopted, a
majority of all the Justices being present and concurring. Littleberry Weaver
became the undertaker at and for the sum of nine thousand four hundred dollars.
At the same time the following order was passed: "Ordered that the Commissioners
heretofore appointed to secure a plan for a new Court House are continued, and
hereby empowered, authorized and directed to sell the old Court House at public
auction to the highest bidder upon a credit until the first day of March, 1843,
taking bond and requiring the purchaser to remove the same by a day to be named
and fixed by the court. It is further ordered that Edmund H. Hopkins be and he
is appointed a committee to superintend the building of the new Court House,
whose duty it shall be to examine all material, inspect and superintend the work
as it progresses, and see that the same be done faithfully according to
contract, and for these services and for drawing the plans and specifications of
the house to be built, he is to be allowed the sum of four hundred and
twenty-five dollars."

    In the month of June the old Court House was dismantleed, torn away and work
begun on the new house. It became, necessary then that some suitable building
should be secured for the purposes of the court, and to that end a lease for a
time was affected with the Trustees of the Baptist Church, which had been built
and completed this same year, to be paid for at the rate of one hundred and
fifty dollars per year. The church was used until October, 1843, when the keys
of the new Court House were turned over by the contractors, and the building
received by the county. James Bacon was the contractor for the wood-work,
assisted by Philip Van Bussum. John F. Toy did the painting. A bell costing one
hundred and sixty dollars was purchased and hung in the cupalo by Philip Van
Bussum. That same bell still hangs, and for the last sixteen years has struck
the hours to the great comfort and convenience of the population. The
specifications of this building can not be found, and as for the plan, the
building is yet towering in its majesty and is likely to remain the recognized
temple of justice for many years to come. The original roof was made of slate,
but in November, 1849, the Sheriff was directed to pay Barak Brashear and Alfred
Oliver the sum of four hundred and fifty dollars for removing the slate from the
roof and re-covering the same with shingles. Several changes were made in the
original plan, for one of which Mr. Weaver was paid five hundred dollars. From
the amount of caution and taste exercised in completing this building, it would
seem that this new and handsome edifice would meet all of the demands of the
most fastidious, but judging from the following sarcastic order entered by the
Clerk of the County Court at the October meeting, 1845-in some particulars, at
least-the reverse seems to have been the case: "Ordered, That Littleberry
Weaver, for cutting stone and lumber, and making platform in the Court house,
called a bar, but looking more like a bake oven, and then removing the same, it
being found useless, inconvenient and exceedingly unsightly, one hundred and
twenty dollars and sixty-four cents."

    The new Court House was not only large and convenient, but it was most
graciously arranged for all the public purposes, particularly so for dancing.
The young people of the town was delighted, of course, and as a consequence,
social balls and hops were frequently held in the new building Anti-Socialists
lived in those days, as well as now, and when their cynical blood became heated
from intentional or unintentional slight, they very naturally intensified their
deformities of disposition by a reckless appeal to the pen, which they in all
life, have regarded as mightier than the sword. Among the many anonymous
articles addressed to the honorable court concerning the use of the building for
dances and such like, the following is, perhaps, the most characteristic. We
copy verbatim:

"To the Honorable County Court:

    " GENTLEMEN-As you are the guardians of the public property of the county,
and as it is your duty to see that this property is not destroyed. or misused, I
beg leave to call your attention to the danger to which the Court House is
exposed by being used as a dance house. Many of your body perhaps are not aware
that the house is used almost every week by a company called a Social Club for
the purpose of dancing, yet such is the fact, for the truth of which I refer you
to some of the members of your honorable body, by being thus used. The walls in
a short time will become damaged and need repairs. Who will pay for these
repairs, the Social Club or the Taxpayers? The fires, I understand, are left to
take care of themselves, no one member of the so-called Social Club taking it
upon himself to see to them. Should the house burn down through carelessness,
the County Court will find it their business to rebuild it, for the Club will
not be apt to do so. On several occasions I understand the use of the house has
been asked for for [sic] the purpose of holding religious worship. Does
preaching the Gospel within the walls do the house any injury? It was said at
the time by those who objected to it, that it was not built for a meeting house.
So I think myself, but still I do not think it was built for a Dance House. They
also said there were plenty of churches in town to preach in. So there is; and
there is also public houses enough in town to dance in. The Court House should
not be used for either. Many also objected to its being used for a public
exhibition of the scholars connected with one of your schools, a matter of far
more importance to the public than the drawing of cat gut and the flowing of
pipes. The house was built for the purpose of holding the courts in it. Let it
be so used. It cost about ten thousand dollars, and it should therefore be well
taken care of and not used for any other purpose than what it was designed for
when built. The whole county is interested in this matter, and not merely a few
in town. In conclusion, I ask your honorable body to look well into this matter.
You now have timely warning of the danger to which the house is exposed, and in
you is vested the remedy. Will you apply it? By so doing you will comply with
the wishes of more than one.
                                     "TAXPAYER.
    "DECEMBER, 22,1845."

    Taxpayer was no doubt one those easy whittling kind who watched all of the
points of public and private interest, except those which most concerned
himself. He evidently had been black-balled by the "Social Club" and was not
held in high esteem by the church. He was a selfish fellow, for he opposed the
using of the Court House even for religious purposes; but then he was a smarter
cuss than he would have the world believe in his disguised epistle to the court.
His complaint, consistent as it appeared, failed to attract the attention of the
court. Flitting feet, inspired by the "Drawing of Cat Gut" and "Blowing of
Pipes" continued to revel in terpchicorean pleasure, and religious denominations
used the house whenever they pleased, to the disgust of this perhaps "Poll Tax"
payer. But at the October court, 1852, the following was passed: "Ordered, that
the jailer shall not hereafter suffer or permit the Court House or any room
thereof to be used for any show or exhibition for a sight of which any money is
charged. Nor shall he rent or let said building, or any room or any apartment
thereof, to any painter, daguerreotypest, musician necromancer, spiritual
rappings, jugglers, rope dancers, slight-of-hand performance, or any other monte
bank whatever."

    At the same court a six-foot gravel walk was ordered to be made around the
foot of the incline. This was the first walk of any importance ever ordered by
the county around the square. At the October court, 1853, the sweeping order of
1852 was modified by authorizing the jailer to let the building to any religious
denomination. This now old building has been the scene, in its time, of social
occasions both charming and brilliant. Many persons living can turn over
memories' leaves and find recorded some of the happiest hours of life spent
within the walls of that old temple, dedicated to Blackstone and other matchless
masters. Many young hearts bursting with love have been soothed beneath its
roof. Many young student, whose heart tickled his throat, has met his success or
reverse there. Political hacks have been hatched in its rostrum, while eloquence
and oratory have caused its walls to resound the thundering applause of an
excited and gratified multitude.

    Its bar was the professional battle ground of a host of brilliant
men-Towies, Dixon, Powell, Cook, McHenry, the Barbours, Crockett, Cissell,
Hughes, the Dallams, the Yeamans, Turner, Bunch, Glass, Kinney, Vance and a host
of others, while the ermine was graced by such shining lights as McLean,
Shackelford, Stites, Dabney, Calhoun, Cook, Fowler and others. In 1857, a
necessity for the alteration of the interior plan of the house manifested itself
so apparently, the court at its September sitting ordered, " That John T. Bunch,
L. W. Brown, W. D. Allison, James H. Priest, L. W. Powell and Henry F. Turner be
appointed commissioners to examine the Court House, and report what alterations
and repairs are in their opinion necessary, and a plan of such alterations, and
the probable cost of the whole work, and how long it will take to complete the
same."

    At the September court the Commissioners reported a plan not to exceed in
cost fifteen hundred dollars. Justices Hiram Turner, B. D. Cheatham, W. H.
Cunningham, William E. Bennett, E. F. Hazelwood and Y. E. Allison, Judge of the
County Court, voted for the motion, made to adopt the plan and directing said
alterations and improvements to be made. Justices B. T. Martin, Isham
Cottingham, H. L. Cheaney and William S. Hicks voted in the negative. The motion
prevailed, but upon consultation, it was thought best to defer the whole matter
until a fuller court could meet. October following, the aforesaid Commissioners
were removed and the following order passed: "Ordered that John T. Bunch, Y. E.
Allison, William D. Allison, William E. Lambert and Philip Van Bussum be
appointed commissioners to draft and fix upon a plan for the alteration and
improvement of the interior of the Court House, and let the same to the lowest
bidder." This motion was concurred in unanimously. From some reason these
Commissioners failed to do their duty, as will be seen from the following March
court, 1858: "The Commissioners appointed by the court to draft a plan, and have
the interior of the Court House repaired, having failed to act, it is now
ordered that the said Committee be removed, and that Barak Brashear, L. W.
Brown, H. F. Turner, John W. Crockett, F. H. Dallam and I. G. Livers, be
appointed a committee to act in the place of those removed, and they proceeded
to act forthwith." At the April court following, the Commissioners reported a
plan and specifications made by J. J. Kriss, architect, which were adopted. The
contract was awarded L G. Livers, and one thousand dollars ordered to be paid
him for making the improvements. The interior of the building was completely
overhauled, and made both comfortable and convenient. The Judge's stand was
removed to the center of the rear wall, handsome tables inclosed by a nicely
finished iron railing, were placed in front of the Judge for the use of the
Clerk, a large space in front and on both sides of the Judge and Clerk was set
apart for the use of the bar, this also was inclosed by a handsome iron railing
outside of the bar; the entire interior, with the exception of ample
passageways, was provided with seats elevated one above another from the floor
to the wall. The improvement was a grand one, springing from the old open brick
concern, as cold in winter as the north end of an arctic blizzard, to a
modernized interior comfortably and conveniently arranged. This, now much to be
enjoyed building, was used until the second year of the war, when it was taken
by the soldiery and occupied as a military headquarters, a prison house,
hospital, cook-house and a means defensive against the attacks of the enemy.
While many court houses throughout the State and adjoining counties were burned
to the ground by one side or the other of the enemy, this old veteran was
permitted to stand, presenting at the close of the war, unbroken walls and
columns, but an indescribably mutilated interior. Pews and benches, flooring and
other necessary appendages had been sacrificed to the flames or whittled into
ingenious trinkets. Its ruthless inmates had laid destroying hands upon
evidences of value, torn from its walls the beauties of architecture, and knifed
into shapeless confusion the bench from which justice had been delivered. As a
result of this unwarranted deviltry upon the part of those whose duty it was to
protect, and not to destroy, the following, which appears of record in the fall
1865, will explain: "His Honor, C. W. Hutchen, Judge of Henderson County, having
had the Justices of the county summoned to meet, the following answered to their
names: Richard Keach, Hiram Turner, P. H. Lockett, Charles C. Eades, John F.
Toy, C. S. Royster, William C. Green, F. E. Walker, and C. C. Ball." Judge
Hutchen explained the object of the meeting to be for devising ways and means
for repairing and re-organizing the Court House, which had been rendered
worthless from causes growing out of the late war. Thereupon the following order
was entered of record: "Ordered, that the sum of five thousand dollars be
appropriated to the remodeling and repairing of the Court House, and that P. H.
Lockett, Henry F. Turner and C. W. Hutchen be appointed commissioners to devise
plans and have said work done. It is further ordered that the said Commissioners
will not begin said work until they have consulted with an advisory board hereby
appointed, consisting of Richard Keach, C. S. Royster, Thomas B. Long, Hiram
Turner, Charles C. Ball, William W. Shelby, Frank E. Walker and John F. Toy.
When said advisory board are satisfied that the war is over and that the house
will not again be occupied by soldiers and that martial law is repealed, and
shall so express themselves to the Commissioners heretofore appointed, then they
are authorized to act. Ordered, that Y. E. Allison, Adam Rankin and William
Green be appointed a committee to borrow on the credit of the county the said
sum of five thousand dollars, bearing interest not to exceed 8 per cent."

    This set of Commissioners it seems failed to make a satisfactory report, and
at the March term, 1866, the following order was passed: "Ordered, that a
committee of three be appointed, whose duty it shall be to employ an architect,
who shall draw under the direction of said committee, a plan and specifications,
which plan, if adopted by the court, shall be carried into effect, said
committee to advertise, let, and have built, the alterations necessary to the
improvement, and perfecting the Court House in Henderson County. It is further
ordered that the sum of twelve thousand dollars be, and is hereby appropriated
for the purpose of reconstructing and repairing the interior of the building. It
is further ordered, that the committee consist of Henry F. Turner, Jesse Lame
and Charles C. Eades, and that they are authorized to borrow that amount on the
faith of the county, at a rate of interest not exceeding 10 per cent, for the
purpose aforesaid."

    At the May term, 1865, the committee reported a plan and specifications,
whereupon the following order was passed: " Ordered, that the report of the
building committee this day made, and the plans and specifications of the
architects, Mursinna and Boyd, as now shown to the court, be received and
adopted, and that the building committee, to-wit: Messrs. Turner, Eads and Lame,
be and they are hereby clothed with power to either let the building, repairing
and reconstructing of the Court House, at either puplic [sic] or private
contract, or have the same done under their supervision and control. It is
further ordered that Frank E. Walker be and he is appointed a committee to
borrow any sum of money necessary to complete the repairs and reconstructing of
the Court House, upon the best terms he can at any rate of interest not
exceeding 10 per cent per annum, and pledge the faith of the county for the
redemption of the same, and that he pay the same out on the order of the
building committee."

    The internal arrangement of the building was completely revolutionized by
the architects, the lower story, which had always prior to that time been used
as a court room, was now divided into four large rooms, with halls between and
the Circuit Court room moved to the second story. The County and Circuit Clerks'
offices were left below, but moved from two brick rooms forming an ell to the
house into the main building. In this change a large vault was built for the
purpose of preserving the records of the county against fire. The brick work was
done by Weaver and Digman, the carpenter work by James H. Johnson. At the
December term, 1866, the building committee reported the work completed
according to contract, and the same was received in discharge of the original
contract.

    The old temple was once more agreed to be as good as new, and far more
convenient and comfortable than ever before. The Circuit Court room, now located
in the second story, proves easy of ventilation, the breezes roll, in
undisturbed waves, through its large openings during the heat of summer, and are
controlled by ordinary fires during the cold months of winter. Located high up
above the sins of the world, eloquence towers over the heads of the populace,
and the keen call of the Sheriff can be recognized for squares. How long this
old building will serve the people or supply the demands of these times of
railroads and electricity, no one can tell; suffice it to say, before another
history is written we shall see a stone structure standing in its place worthy
of the great county.



Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KENTUCKY,
BY
EDMUND L. STARLING,

COMPRISING HISTORY OF COUNTY AND CITY, PRECINCTS, EDUCATION, CHURCHES, SECRET
SOCIETIES, LEADING ENTERPRISES, SKETCHES AND RECOLLECTIONS, AND BIOGRAPHIES OF
THE LIVING AND DEAD.

ILLUSTRATED.

HENDERSON, KY, 1887.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ky/henderson/history/1887/historyo/chapterv316gms.txt

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