« Environment - "Vote in Alaska Puts Question: Gold or Fish? " | Main | Ind. Law - "Moped rider's Catch-22"; also, golf carts legal in South Carolina »

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Ind. Courts - Huntington Courthouse turns 100

Becky Manley reports in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette:

As the Huntington Courthouse’s south clock tower’s gears ticked into the future, an antique cannon’s blast launched an event that celebrated the past.

The blast echoed through the courthouse and into the attic that houses the clocks, marking the start of the courthouse’s centennial celebration Saturday.

The ceremony included speeches from officials, patriotic music and the formerly undedicated courthouse’s official dedication. * * *

Humbert, an architect who has worked on courthouse projects, agrees a 100-year-old building can be a “maintenance nightmare,” but he also is quick to point out the building’s points of interest.

The courthouse still has a Grand Army of the Republic room, Humbert said, pointing to the room’s ceiling, which bears the stylishly painted names of Civil War battles.

Although the Grand Army of the Republic often paid for the construction of rooms in courthouses to use for meetings, Humbert said most courthouses have converted the rooms to other uses.

Each courtroom has an art glass dome and a larger art glass dome spans the center of the courthouse. Some gas light fixtures remain throughout the courthouse, though they have been retrofitted to accommodate electricity.

But Humbert’s favorite place in the courthouse is in its tower, accessible only by a narrow flight of winding wood stairs, a plank catwalk that crosses the art glass domes, and finally narrow metal steps that spiral into the tower, which Humbert said is about 60 feet above the ground.

Standing on the ledge outside the tower, Humbert gazes at the expansive view of Huntington as old-time music and the sounds of people talking drift up from the courthouse lawn.

“I’ve been up here quite a few times,” Humbert said.

Soon after, the ceremony began, and Huntington resident Jill Miller, shaded by a black umbrella, swayed to a montage of patriotic music.

“I love our courthouse. I think it’s the neatest old building,” Miller said.

Here are links to photos of the Huntington County Courthouse (currently 208-213) from the University Libraries Digial Media Repository.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on August 24, 2008 09:48 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts