When is the last time you went inside the Old Courthouse in downtown Evansville? Odds are you’ve been under it (at the Old Courthouse Catacombs) more recently than in it. If that’s the case, I can not recommend strongly enough that you take a few minutes to take a little stroll through this iconic building. The Old Courthouse is our stop this week on the Tour de Tri-State.

I’m not going to give you a history lesson about the courthouse – there are people that know way more than I do, and I’ll leave that to them. What I can tell you is that the courthouse cornerstone was laid in 1888, and is considered to be “one of the most important examples of 19th-century governmental architecture in the country.” Bet you didn’t know that, did you? Yeah, I didn’t either, I just learned it at OldVanderburghCourthouse.com.

The courthouse building is absolutely beautiful, both inside and out. I highly recommend taking some time to check out everything that’s happening on the exterior before heading inside for even more breathtaking sites. With the support of the community and the help of the Old Courthouse Foundation, much of the interior has been renovated, including a beautiful ballroom and former courtroom (both of which can be rented by the way). One of the most iconic features at the courthouse is also one that is in most need of renovation, and that this the clock, clocktower, and bell.

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Take some time to look through the gallery below, and see the clocktower for yourself. You’ll notice right away that it is in rough shape, especially compared to the renovations completed inside. This amazing and iconic piece of Evansville history needs to be preserved – there are a lot of passionate people trying to make that happen, but they can only do so much, they need your (our) help.

We granted some pretty exclusive access in order to bring you these images, and we are so grateful to JoElle Knight for making that happen, and for ‘Mr. Courthouse' himself, Larry Bristow, for the in-depth tour and history lesson he gave us. I’m not sure people realize what an amazing piece of history we have there on the corner of 4th and Court Street. I’ll admit I took it for granted for way too long, and I guarantee I’m not alone. Let’s all do our part, whatever that may be for you, to restore the clock and the bell, and the rest of the courthouse to its former glory.

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See Inside the Iconic Old Courthouse in Downtown Evansville

The Old Vanderburgh County Courthouse now houses multiple businesses and is the setting for weddings.

 
 

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