Corydon Historic District
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Corydon Historic District | |
|---|---|
| (U.S. Registered Historic District) | |
 |
|
| Location: | Corydon, Indiana |
| Architect: | Mesker, George L. & Co.; Mitchell, William |
| Architectural style(s): | Italianate, Queen Anne |
| Added to NRHP: | August 28, 1973; June 27, 1989 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 89000243 [1] |
| Governing body: | various |
The Corydon Historic District of Corydon, Indiana, USA, is on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1973, the district comprised of the old statehouse and the square around, and in 1989, it was extended so that it extends to Indian Creek in the north and west, College Avenue in the east, and Little Indian Creek to the south. Eight buildings within the district were standing when Corydon was the capital of Indiana.
The centerpiece is the two-story Federal-style limestone building that was the capital of Indiana from 1816-1825, and is now the Corydon Capital State Historic Site. It was originally intended to double as the county courthouse; the county would occasionally use the capitol when the state government was not in session.
Next to the old capitol is the Harrison County Courthouse. Between the two buildings, historical markers denote John Hunt Morgan's capture of the town in July of 1863. It sees 30,000 visitors every year.[2] Other important buildings of historical note are Governor William Hendricks' headquarters, Posey House, and the first Indiana state office building.
Around the square is a series of shops, one restaurant (Magdalena's), and a Masonic temple.
Protected by a sandstone memorial is the "Constitution Elm". In 1816 the trunk was five feet across, with branches spreading out 132 feet. Due to the heat of the capitol building, much of the deliberations for creating the Indiana state government was under its branches. Dutch elm disease destroyed the tree in 1925, leaving only the trunk.
On May 22, 2007, plans were announced to build a memorial to the late Indiana governor Frank O'Bannon on the southwest corner of the courthouse square, which is to be 20 feet by 20 feet and have a life-sized likeness of O'Bannon in bronze on a limestone bench, with three pillars honoring O'Bannon, his father, and his grandfather, all of whom were prominent in Corydon. The memorial is to cost $200,000 and being officially unveiled in June 2008.[2]
The Kintner House Hotel is within the district, and is separately listed on the National Register.
Contents |
[edit] The Old Capitol Building
Indiana's first state capitol building was constructed of limestone from a nearby quarry. Construction began in 1809 and was completed in 1813. The building was constructed by Dennis Pennington[3][4], the states first speaker of the house, who was awarded the construction contract by the Indiana Territorial Legislature.[5] The building was constructed to be forty foot square, two stories high, with two feet thick walls. The exposed exterior of the building is not dressed using only stones that were cut roughly square. The foundation was placed three feet into the ground and made two and a half feet thick. The lower room, with fifteen foot ceilings, was made from stone flagging and with the barn rail made from hewn timber. The upper floor's ceiling is ten foot high. Two large fire places where installed in both the upper and lower floor. The original building had a scale and balance on the roof as the symbol of justice. The original building was constructed for approximately $1500.
The building served as the capitol of Indiana Territory from 1813 until 1816 when the territory was granted statehood. From 1816 until 1825 the building was used as the State capitol. The upstairs housed the state supreme court and the lower floor housed the state legislature. The executive offices where across the street.
After 1825, when the state capital was moved to Indianapolis, the building was used as the the county courthouse and office building for the Harrison County Government until 1929 when a new county courthouse was constructed.
The balance and scales were removed in 1833 and replaced with a large bell hung in its place. In 1873 the building renovated.[6] The fireplaces where closed up and the original stone floor covered over with a wood floor.
The building was purchased in 1917 by the state of Indiana to be preserved as a "memorial to the pioneers who established the commonwealth of Indiana". It opened in 1929 and has since been preserved and protected as a memorial. The building was registered as a national historic site in 1973.
[edit] Governor's Headquarters
The town maintains the home of Thomas Posey (pictured above), the second governor of the Indiana Territory. Although he lived in Corydon only briefly, he had a fine brick house erected in 1813. It is persevered as part of the historic district.
The Governor's Headquarters (pictured left) was built in 1817 by Davis Floyd. Floyd had been the treasurer and auditor of the Indiana Territory and was then an Indiana State Legislator. Floyd lost his home in Panic of 1819 and it was then purchased by the state to house the Governor. Governor William Hendricks, and later Congressman and Senator of the United States, occupied the building from 1822-1825.
In 1841 the building was purchased by Judge William A. Porter, a lawyer who also served several terms in the Indiana State legislature as a Whig. He was also Speaker of House in 1849. The home is now part of the Corydon Capitol State Historic Site.
[edit] Indiana First State Bank
The Indiana First State Bank is preserved within the historic site. It is now occupied by the Corydon Public Library which maintains the historic building in much of its original condition. The bank was the first bank created by the Indiana legislature. It was created in response to the Panic of 1819 in hopes that it would add stability to the local economy.
[edit] Grand Masonic Lodge
The Grand Masonic Lodge in was built in 1817 after being organized by many of the leading men in the state government. The Masons had been active in Indiana for over two decades before its building. After statehood its membership and influence grew to the point where a building was constructed. It is the oldest Masonic Lodge in Indiana. Its founding members included Senator Dennis Pennington, Governor Jonathan Jennings, Representative Davis Floyd, and Congressman William Hendricks just to name a few.
[edit] References
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
- ^ The article requested can not be found! Please refresh your browser or go back. (B2,20070522,NEWS02,70522013,AR)
- ^ Life and Public Services of Thomas A. Hendricks By John Walker Pg22
- ^ Indiana: A Guide to the Hoosier State, By Federal Writers' Project, Pg 154
- ^ [1]
- ^ The building had been burnt during the Morgan's Raid in the American Civil War
My Indiana:101 Places to See, by Earl L. Conn (Indiana Historical Society Press, 2006). pg.204-5.
|
||||||||||
