Jennings County is named for Jonathan Jennings, who was the first Governor of Indiana and a nine term congressman.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Bartholomew County and Decatur County
E – Ripley County
S – Jefferson County and Scott County
W – Jackson County
Created: December 27, 1816 
County Seat:
Vernon 1817 – present
County Courthouse – Vernon
Location: 24 North Pike Street / Jackson Street
Built: 1858 – 1860
Style: Italianate
Architect: Isaac Hodgson of Indianapolis
Contractor: Samuel Read of Vernon
Description: The building faces west and is a three story red colored brick structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Vernon. The stone was quarried locally. The west entrance has an arch which is trimmed with stone and a recessed doorway. On the northwest corner rises a five story square clock tower with wide cornice at the top. Stone trim decorates the windows. The roof is hipped. The building houses the County Circuit Court and the County Superior Court of the 21st Judicial District. The building was renovated in 1885 to 1987. The architect was Mozingo Associates Architects Inc. and the contractor was Taylor Brothers Construction Company. On the north side is the County Government Center.
See: The 21st Judicial District includes Bartholomew County, Brown County, Decatur County and Jackson County.
History: The county was created in 1816 and Vernon was selected as the county seat in 1817. The first county meetings were held in the private residence of Achilles Vawter. The first courthouse was a log schoolhouse built by Achilles Vawter, David McClure and Joel Butle in 1815 and used as the courthouse in 1817. The second courthouse was a brick structure built in 1830. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1858 to 1860 at a cost of $26,375.
County Government Center – Vernon
Location: 200 East Brown Street / Perry Street
Built: 1998 – 1999
Style: Modern
Architect: Prince / Alexander Architects, Inc.
Contractor: Prince / Alexander Architects, Inc. and Dennis Jones
Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Vernon to the north of the courthouse. The south front has a one story porch on the west side. The center section has three long arched windows. On the southwest corner is a three story tower with windows on the third story.
County Courthouse – Vernon
County Govenment Center – Vernon
Photos taken 2008