Greene County Courthouse
Greene County Courthouse
The first courthouse in Greene County was built in Burlington, a small village on the east bank of the west fork of the White River. Burlington was about three miles north of present day Bloomfield. This courthouse was a 20 foot by 20 foot two room log structure. By 1822 people realized that Burlington was not a good place for the county seat. A suitable supply of water was not available to accommodate the growing population. A site for a new courthouse was needed. Burlington eventually disappeared from the map after the county seat was moved.
The State Legislature was called upon to select a new county seat. According to a legislative act of December 17, 1823, commissioners were appointed and ordered to meet in the courthouse in Burlington on the second Monday in February, 1824, for the purpose of considering donations and offers for a site for the new county seat.
The commissioners selected the site now known as Bloomfield, as Peter C. Van Slyke had made provisions for a sizable donation of land. Van Slyke had by contract acquired the donation of 25 acres of land from Samuel Gwathmey. Van Slyke purchased an additional 25 acres at $4 per acre from Gwathmey to make the original donation 50 acres. Later, Van Slyke added 12 more acres immediately west of the original 50 acres, to make the total donation 62 acres.
The elevation of land was high enough to be out of the flood zone, but an ever-flowing spring provided an abundant supply of water. The site was accepted and the city was named Bloomfield at the suggestion of Dr. Hollet B. Dean, a native of Bloomfield, New York.
On February 27, 1824, the board of county commissioners met at the new county seat and directed the county agent to lay off the donation into lots. The lots were sold on April 22, 1824.
The First Courthouse in Bloomfield
In May 1824 the county commissioners authorized Ephraim Owen, the county agent, to build a courthouse on the public lot, which was a 276-foot square. The courthouse was one and a half-stories high with windows having twelve panes of glass and one door. The first story was built with a poplar plank floor having one set of joists. The upper floor was tongued and grooved. One pair of stairs was installed and one partition was placed across the upper story. A window was located in each end of the courthouse; the roof was covered with joint shingles twenty inches long.
After the frame work was completed, the commissioners appointed John Hill to finish the court house in the following manner:
Chink the courthouse with short blocks adobed with lime and sand, one third lime and two thirds sand on the outside; and clay on the inside, washed over with lime.
This courthouse, completed in 1825, was located on the northeast side of the intersection of Main and Washington Streets. The cabin-styled courthouse was changed by only the addition of a window in 1833 and repair of the underpinning the following year due to hogs resting underneath and disturbing court.
The Second Courthouse
In 1836 the county had outgrown the structure, so another building was needed. Calvin Hartwell was hired as contractor for the sum of $5,800, to be paid in three installments. Upon receiving the first installment of $1,000 in April, Hartwell promptly left the county. The contract was turned over to Andrew Downing and Samuel Simons, but failure by the county to make payments according to the contract caused the work to come almost to a halt. A loan from a Bedford bank rectified the situation, and the building was finished in 1838 at a final cost of $6,270.59.
When this courthouse was torn down in 1886, Colonel Aden G. Cavins, a Civil War veteran and a Bloomfield attorney, bought the hexagonal-shaped cupola for his daughter to use as a playhouse. The slate green roofed, white tower cupola may be seen in the side yard of the oldest house in Bloomfield at 412 South Seminary Street.
The Third Courthouse
In 1885 construction on another courthouse was started. The commissioners hired George Bunting to do the work. Today Greene County’s courthouse is one of the only six remaining Bunting courthouses left standing. In 1886 when the courthouse was completed, the total cost of building the courthouse came to $60,800.
In 1954 the county had the courthouse remodeled, which included removing the steeples on all four corners of the building and squaring the corners. Also, the building was reinforced with iron beams; the ceilings were lowered. The building was completely fire-proofed (all wooden floors were replaced.) The court room was completely redone with new walls and a new ceiling, plus entirely new furniture and fixtures. The clock tower was remodeled. This tower is the focal point of the structure as it is located in the center front on the top of the building.
The biggest problem with the courthouse immediately after the remodeling was that the mortar between the bricks was cracking and loose; also the concrete steps leading to both entrances needed replaced. In 1994 and 1995 the steps were replaced and the building was tuckpointed. Future renovation is now in the planning stages as the present facility lacks adequate space to accommodate the growth of the departments and offices.
This information was used with permission from the Linton-Stockton School Corporation.
Pictures can be found in our photogallery.
