Richland County is named for Richland County in Ohio through the influence of emigrants from that county.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Jasper County and Crawford County
E – Lawrence County
S – Wabash County, Edwards County and Wayne County
W – Clay County
Created: February 24, 1841 
County Seat:
Olney 1841 – present
County Courthouse – Olney
Location: 103 West Main Street / South Whittle Avenue
Built: 1914 – 1915
Style: Neo-Classical
Architect: Joseph W Royer of Urbana
Contractor: Von Hoy & Son
Description: The building faces north and is a three story gray colored limestone structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Olney. The porticos on each side of the building are supported by four large Ionic columns rising to a pediment with clock at the roof line. On the first story are three arches at the entrances. The building has a wide eave along the flat roof line.
See: The architect Joseph W Royer of Urbana, Illinois designed courthouses in Illinois in Bureau County, Champaign County, Clay County, Douglas County, Ford County, Grundy County, Marion County, and Piatt County; in iowa in Linn County; and in Wisconsin in Douglas County.
See: The 2nd Judicial District includes Crawford County, Edwards County, Franklin County, Gallatin County, Hamilton County, Hardin County, Jefferson County, Lawrence County, Wabash County, Wayne County and White County.
History: The county was created in 1841 and Olney was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a rented wood structure built by Asa H Beard and Henry Spring. The second courthouse was the log Methodist Episcopal Church built in 1843. The third courthouse was a two story frame structure built in 1846 to 1847 at a cost of $3,000. The fourth courthouse was a two story brick Italianate structure designed by J C Cochrane and constructed by Bartow& Gaddis in 1873 at a cost of $37,000. The fifth and present courthouse was constructed in 1914 to 1915.
County Courthouse – Olney
Photos taken 2008