Soon after the county seat was laid out, the erection of county buildings became a necessity, and we find that Curtis Ballard was paid the sum of $2 "for crying the sale of the court house and jail in the town of London." Uriah Humble obtained the contract for erecting the court house and Elias Langham the jail. The former was a two-storied hewed log building, the first story being used for a court-room, while the second was divided into two apartments for jury-rooms. It stood on Lot No. 40, the site of the Farmers' Hotel, immediately west of the present court house, cost $170, and was received by the Commissioners March 5, 1813, who "considered it finished according to contract." There can be no doubt that the building was occupied prior to this time, as on the journal under date of December 2, 1811, we read, "William Sutton was paid $9.25 for making benches and table for the court," and "Jonathan Minshall was allowed $1 for hauling the benches and table to the court house." We find upon record in the Clerk's office the following item which makes it probable that this building was used as early as November of that year: "The November term of the Court of Common Pleas, held in London, the newly laid out county seat, was opened November 18, 1811." It is not known that the county officials had any regular offices outside of their own homes, and we have heard A. A. Hume remark that "most of them had their offices in their hats," so it is evident that little business was done, and the early official had not much use for an office.
The jail was built of logs hewed on four sides, and was also two stories high. The lower story had a double wall of logs, and was without door or windows. The upper story was reached by an outside stairway, and was used as a debtor's prison; while access to the lower story was obtained through an iron trap door in the floor of the debtor's room, connected by a movable ladder with the ground floor. This lower room was occupied by those who had committed criminal offenses or the more serious breaches of the law. It stood across the alley from the court house, on the west side of the present building, and cost $270, the last payment of $10 being made to Mr. Langham June 7, 1814.
In 1814 and 1815, considerable repairing was done to the court house and jail. We find that in July, 1814, Joseph Russell was paid $40 for repairing the court house, and in March, 1815, William Turner was allowed $50 for building a chimney to the same. Throughout the latter year $284.62½ was expended in repairs on these buildings, besides the above amounts. One item of $17 was paid Joseph Warner" for chinking and daubing the court house." Truly this house of justice was a modest one, and in keeping with pioneer times, yet the law was, doubtless, expounded as logically, and even-handed justice meted out with as much dignity as it is to-day, in the beautiful temples of law which adorn nearly every county seat from the Ohio to the Lake.