Dearborn County is named for Henry Dearborn, who was a United States Secretary of War.
Surrounding county Courthouses:
N – Franklin County
E – Butler County, Ohio, Hamilton County, Ohio and Boone County, Kentucky
S – Ohio County
W – Ripley County
Created: March 7, 1803 
County Seat:
Lawrenceburg 1803 – 1836
Wilmington 1836 – 1844
Lawrenceburg 1844 – present
County Courthouse – Lawrenceburg
Location: 215 West High Street / Mary Street
Built: 1870 – 1873
Style: Classical Revival
Architect: George Kyle of Vevay
Contractor: Thomas J Shannon of Lawrenceburg
Description: The building faces southeast and is a three story pearl-gray colored limestone structure. The building is located om the landscaped grounds of the Courthouse Square in the center of Lawrenceburg. The east front has a large portico supported by four large Corinthian columns rising to the pediment at the roof line, Small peaked roofs are on the south, west and north sides. The roof is hipped with a raised central skylight. In the interior is a cast iron stairway and five of the rooms have the original fireplaces. The hallway has a high ceiling and under the dome is a skylight. The building houses the County Circuit Court and County Superior Court of the 22nd Judicial District. The building is connected to the County Courthouse Annex on the northwest side.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Dearborn County Courthouse
County Courthouse Annex – Lawrenceburg
Location: 215 West High Street / Mary Street
Built: 2016 – 2017
Style: Modern
Architect: DLZ Architects of Indianapolis
Contractor: Maxwell Construction of Greendale
Description: The building faces northeast and is a two story pearl-gray colored limestone, glass and concrete structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of the Courthouse Square in the center of Lawrenceburg between the courthouse on the southeast and the County Administration Building on the northwest. The northeast front has a semi-circular porch supported by columns with a recessed glass wall. The building contains two large courtroom.
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County Administration Building – Lawrenceburg
Location: 215 B West High Street / Mary Street
Built: 1983 – 1984
Style: Modern
Architect: Savage Walker Schulte Associates Inc. and John P Grier
Contractor: Stephen Gross & Sons Inc.
Description: The building faces northeast and is a three story tan colored brick, concrete and glass style structure. The building is located on landscaped groundrs on the northwest side of the courthouse. The roof line is flat.
Old County Courthouse – Wilmington
Location: NE – Wilmington Pike / King Street
Built: 1836
Style: Federal
Architect: Unknown
Contractor: Unknown
Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Wilmington. The square building has a hipped roof. The building stands abandoned.
See: Similar square shaped Federal style courthouses are located in Harrison County and Perry County.
Note: Dearborn County was the second county to build a courthouse in 1810 after the first courthouse was built in Clark County in 1802.
See: The 22nd Judicial District includes Jefferson County, Ohio County, Ripley County and Switzerland County.
History: The county was created in 1803 and Lawrenceburg was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a two story brick structure built in 1803 on the public square. The courthouse burned on March 5, 1825 and the courthouse was rebuilt in 1826 to 1828 as the second courthouse by Jesse W Hunt and George Dunn as superintendents and designed by Jesse W Hunt. The county seat was moved to Wilmington 1n 1836 and the third courthouse was a brick structure built at a cost of $4,000 which is still standing. The county seat was moved back to Lawrenceburg in 1844 and presumably used the second courthouse. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1870 to 1871 at a cost of $135,775. The County Courthouse Annex was constructed in 2016 to 2017 at a cost of $11,700,000.
County Courthouse – Lawrenceburg
County Administration – Lawrenceburg
Photos taken 2008