Jasper County is named for William Jasper, who was a famous scout for the Continentals during the American Revolutionary War.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Lake County and Porter County
E – Starke County, Pulaski County and White County
S – White County and Benton County
W – Newton County
Created: February 7, 1835 
County Seat:
Parish Grove 1839
Spiller’s Cabin 1839
Rensselaer 1839 – present
County Courthouse – Rensselaer
Location: 115 West Washington Street / South Van Rensselaer Street
Built: 1896 – 1898
Style: Gothic Revival
Architect: Alfred Grindle and Charles Weatherhogg of Fort Wayne
Contractor: G W Heinzmann & J F Heinzmann of Noblesville.
Description: The building faces north and is a four story gray colored Bedford limestone structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Rensselaer. The north front has two high stone pillars with three peaked dormers along the roof line. On each corner of the building is a small octagonal tower. In the building center rises a large square stone tower with a clock on each side and a four peaked roof at the top. In the interior, the third floor has the two courtrooms with the Judicial Court on the westand the Jasper Superior Court on the east. A brass chandelier with lead blown glass shades is in the foyer between the two courtrooms. The courtrooms are almost identical with the original oak judicial benches with their hand carved seals of the State of Indiana on the back panel of each bench. The walls are decorated with a plaster leaf swag. There are plaster columns on either side connected by plaster arches. There is decorative plaster work around the windows. The stained glass panels which surround the courtroom entrances are set in carved wooden frames. The doors, themselves, have fireproof glass. The building houses the County Circuit Court and the County Superior Court of the 2nd Judicial District.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Jasper County Courthouse
See: The 2nd Judicial District includes Benton County, Newton County and Porter County.
History: The county was created in 1835 and Parish Grove (Benton County) was selected as the county seat in 1838. The first court met at the home of Robert Alexander. In 1839 the cabin of George Spiller was the county seat. The county seat was established at Rensselaer in 1839 and the first courthouse was erected the same year. The second courthouse was a frame structure built in 1845. The third courthouse was a brick structure designed by Benjamin in 1856 at a cost of $10,000. The courthouse burned in 1865. The fourth courthouse was built by J A Silver in 1865. The fifth and present courthouse was constructed in 1896 to 1889 at a cost of $156,000.
County Courthouse - Rensselaer
Photos taken 2006 and 2008