On the 9th of June, 1853, the Commissioners, Henry Alder, John Garrard and John T. Maxey, opened the bids received by them towards erecting a new court house, the old one having previously been condemned by the Grand Jury. Bids were received from Messrs. Gould, Biddle, Hills, Turnbull, Carey, Scott & Reese, Strain and Simpson. On the 10th, after a due examination of the several bids, the contract was awarded to A. E. Turnbull. On the 2d of August, the contract was completed and closed, in which the contractor agreed "to build said court house, as per contract and specifications on file, for the sum of $26,975, and to have the same completed in good style by the first day of July, 1855." It was ordered to be erected with the front facing Main street, and placed in the middle of the lots originally set aside for court house and jail, with the steps commencing at a distance of six feet from the southwest line of Main street, and northeast line of the lots.
The old buildings were ordered to be sold on June 24, 1853, and on that date E. W. Turner, auctioneer, sold the court house to William Gould, John Warner and J. F. Freeman, for $77. The county offices and jail not bringing prices sufficiently large were withdrawn from the sale. On November 2, they were again put up for sale, William Turner being the auctioneer. The Treasurer's and Recorder's offices were sold to Joseph Chrisman for $37; the Auditor's and Clerk's offices to David Haskell for $34; the jail to James M. Thompson for $50; the inside pavement to Nathan Bond, for $6.50; the old hook and ladder shed which stood in the rear of the jail, to Joseph Warner, for $2; the fence around the lot to J. C. Kemp, for $3; while the Sheriff's office which was not sold until December 5, brought, including the stove, $35, and was purchased by William Jones.
The county officials were compelled to find offices elsewhere, and November 2, John Rouse, the Auditor, was authorized by the Commissioners to rent of George Phifer the two southwest rooms on the second floor of his new brick building, for the use of the Auditor and Treasurer, which was accordingly done, at a rent of $45 per annum. This is the same building in which Wolf's clothing store is now located. The clerk made his office in his house; the Recorder, in a small log building which had been weatherboarded and which yet stands on the south side of High street, between Main and Union, while the Sheriff did without an office until the new building was completed.
On the 8th of March, 1854, a petition was presented to the Commissioners praying that the plans of the court house be so changed as to have two main fronts, one on each street, which prayer was granted; and at a meeting held March 23, they decided to change all former plans as to position, front, etc., and to alter the same so far as to make the size 68x68, with two fronts, one on each street, in harmony with said petition. It was to contain six fire-proof rooms attached to the various offices, in which the records were to be preserved. In January, 1856, the building was ready for occupancy and on the first day of that month the Auditor and Recorder moved into their new offices, the balance of the officials soon following their example. The fence around the lot, together with the outbuildings were the next necessary improvements, but much opposition had been developed toward the expenditures already undergone, and some of the Commissioners had resigned in consequence. Many of the people were, therefore, opposed to putting up an iron fence around the building, looking upon the scheme as an act of extravagance. Prominent in this class was Harvey Fellows, one of the Board of Commissioners, at the time, while the other two, Edward Fitzgerald and David Haskell were in favor of the iron fence. The Recorder, William Love, was something of a wag, and getting up the following fictitious bid sent it through the post office addressed to the Board of Commissioners.
March 1, 1856.
I propose to build the fence around the Court House at the following rates, furnish good white-oak rails at $3 a hundred, and put them up ten rails high with stakes and riders, two pair of bars at $1, and paint them red for fifty cents extra.
Reference: John Betts. Mike Berry.
Signed H. P. Kits.
It is needless to say that this amusing proposition demoralized the opposition and the contract was awarded to John F. Dodds & Co., of Dayton, Ohio, to build an iron fence around the court house and erect necessary outbuildings, at a cost of $4,903, which was carried into effect and the entire work done in a satisfactory manner. The court house, fence and outbuildings made a total cost of $31,878. In March, 1857, the shade trees on each front were planted under the supervision of A. A. Hume, and add much to the appearance of the structure.
The building, as it stands to-day, presents a very creditable outward appearance which the interior does not justify. It is three stories in height and surmounted by a cupola, the second story being reached by a flight of stone steps from both Main and High streets. The Auditor's office is in the first story facing Main and High; the Treasurer's office is in the northeast corner of the building on the first story, and faces Main; the Recorder's office is in the southwest corner of the building, also on the first story, and faces High; the Clerk's office is immediately above the Recorder's, in the second story; the Probate Judge's office is in the same story, directly over the Treasurer's, while the Sheriff has an office cut off from the large center hall, but it is only temporary, to give him more room in his living apartments, a portion of which originally formed his office. At the summit of the steps leading to the second story, are two large stone pillars gracing each flight, and supporting the roof above the alcove formed at the head of each. In the third story is the court and jury rooms, while on the first story, in the northwest corner of the building is the jail and Jailor's residence. None of the offices in this building are what they should be in this progressive age. They are small, unhealthy and wholly inadequate to the amount of business now transacted in them.