Napoleon History Tour Stop #1 – Henry County Courthouse
Standing tall for nearly 150 years – the Henry County Courthouse has been the scene of daily life and rare history for our residents.
The current structure is the third Courthouse for the county. Henry County’s first Courthouse was built at the same location in 1844 and was destroyed by fire in 1847. The second structure was built in 1850 at the very same corner of Washington and Perry streets. Fire also claimed this white pillared structure after serving the area for 29 years. The disastrous “Dutch Row” Fire of 1879 turned the Courthouse – and 21 other Downtown Napoleon buildings to ash. (SEE HISTORY TOUR STOP #5!)
2nd Henry County Courthouse 1847-1850
The current magnificent structure had it’s cornerstone laid July 10, 1880 – just 244 days after the fire that destroyed its predecessor. Architecture experts describe the building as being Victorian Second Empire with French influence. DW Gibbs of Toledo was the architect and Gibbs went on to design 4 other Ohio County Courthouses and the Wyoming State Capitol building. Henry County’s Courthouse is built of brick and Berea Sandstone. Original cost for this grand structure? $95,000!
The Courthouse stands 160 foot tall and Lady Justice at the top reaches another 15 feet high. Renovations were undertaken in 1954, 1964, 1973 and most extensively in 1995. The people of Henry County know they are stewards of this structure and have worked hard to preserve its beauty and functionality for future generations.
Genealogists from all over the tri-state area find the Henry County Courthouse in their searches during the World War II era, as Henry County was known to be one of the few places where no blood test or waiting period was needed for Marriages. There was even a special area where a small court was set up for Saturday civil weddings for all comers!
Laying the Courthouse cornerstone 1880
Courthouse Tower nearing completion 1880
Courthouse postcard circa 1930’s
Downtown Napoleon view circa 1955
