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Lew Wallace had his first
Law Office here in 1849

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The Fountain County Clerk's Building

In 1827, the 1st Fountain County Courthouse was built on city Lot #120 (20' x 26' frame, 2 story building) at a cost of $335.

In 1833, the 2nd Fountain County Courthouse was built in the center of the square (brick two story, painted white, then green).

An adjunct Clerk's building was built in 1842 by the County Commissioners as a fire-proof structure to house court records.

Built by Joseph L. Sloan in the Early Federal Style with a central passage. Mr. Sloan built the structure in exchange for city Lot #74. County Commissioners at the time: Joseph Glascock, William S. Crain, George Ridge and Daniel Myers.

On each side of the central passage were two rooms. These became the offices for the County Auditor, Clerk and Recorder. Two rooms were rented to local attorneys. In 1849 Lew Wallace, who would later attain acclaim for the novel Ben Hur as well as a General in the Army and Statesman, opened his first Law Office here. He practiced in Covington from 1849 through 1853 before moving to Crawfordsville.

The Clerk's Building sat on the Courthouse lawn facing East. The building was sold at auction in 1859 to make way for the new Victorian Style Courthouse which became the third Courthouse in Fountain County. The Clerk's building was moved North and across the street. It was not rotated so what was the front then became the back and it remains that way today. It was then used as a private residence.

In 1901 the building was purchased by Michael Mayer II and remained in the Mayer family until it was sold to the Fountain County Arts Council in July 2001 by Margaret Mayer Kerr.

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in June of 2002 and has been restored and converted into an Interpretive History Museum.

The Clerk's Building celebrated its grand opening on June 11th, 2005 and is open for visitation on Saturdays from May through October.

How to find it:

The little city of Covington is nestled on a hill overlooking the Wabash River in West Central Indiana. The Clerk's Building is located in the heart of town just a block north of the Art Deco style Courthouse erected in 1937 after a fire destroyed the one built in 1860. This 4th Courthouse contains paintings by Eugene Savage and Murals depicting the history of Fountain County from its establishment through World War I.

Map
Courtesy of Mapquest.com
Street Address:316 4th Street
Covington, IN 47932

Open Saturday afternoons:
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - May 1 - Oct. 31
No Admission Charge - Donations Appreciated
For Information or Group Tours, call:
(765) 793-2710
or (765) 793-4432 or (765) 793-7388

If you have photos of or historical stories about Fountain County, either old or current you would care to share with us. Please contact: antiqueshopsinindiana.com.