Courthouse centennial to be celebrated during Fall Fest

The 100th anniversary of the construction of the Jackson County Courthouse building will be celebrated during Fall Fest on Saturday, Oct. 9, with a rededication ceremony and tours of the historic building.

The Jackson County Commissioners will host a special ribbon-cutting ceremony outside on the east side of the Courthouse at 10 a.m. that morning followed by free cake to note the anniversary.

Guided tours of the Courthouse will be offered at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and those interested in participating in the tours are asked to meet inside on the first floor of the Courthouse. 

During a recent commission meeting, Suzette McCord-Rogers and Layne Hunley of the Jackson County Historical Society discussed the celebration.

The women requested $250 in county funds to purchase two large sheet cakes and supplies for the event and a large banner that will be displayed outside the building. The commissioners agreed. 

The current Courthouse first opened to the public on July 4, 1921. A special celebration was held then that included a parade, free lunch and games and was capped off with fireworks being shot off the roof of the new building. 

The current Courthouse on the Holton Square is the third Courthouse in the county’s history. The building was constructed using Indiana limestone, and the design includes six fluted Ionic columns on each side. 

According to a 1921 edition of The Holton Recorder, the construction cost of the new Courthouse totaled $263,869.70.

For more on this story, please log in to your holtonrecorder.net account and select the Sept. 15, 2021 edition under “E-Editions.”