Perry County is named for Oliver Hazard Perry, who was a Commodore in the United States navy and who defeated the British in the decisive Battle of Lake Erie in 1813.
Created: September 7, 1814
County Seat:
Troy 1814 – 1818
Rome 1818 – 1859
Cannelton 1859 – 1994
Tell City 1994 – present
County Courthouse – Tell City
Location: 12219 Payne Street / 22nd Street
Built: 1992 – 1994
Style: Modern
Architect: Andrew Churchill of United Consulting Engineers & Architects of Indianapolis
Contractor: Arc Construction Company, Inc.
Description: The building faces north and is a one story red-brown colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds. The central section is an octagonal structure with white colored cupola. The main north entrance has four large columns supporting a peaked roof. Inside is a large open rotunda. On the east and west are large wings which extend north with white colored trim.
Old County Courthouse – Cannelton
Location: 7th Street / Taylor Street
Built: 1896 – 1897
Style: French Renaissance
Architect: John Bacon Hutchings of Louisville, Kentucky
Contractor: Unknown
Description: The building faces southwest and is a two story yellow colored pressed brick structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds and is trimmed with Bedford limestone and has a massive sandstone foundation. The southwest front has a small one story portico supported by four columns rising to a balcony on the second story. There are east and west wings. The roof line is flat.
Note: The cost of construction of the third courthouse was $30,000 which amount was raised by the citizens of Cannelton. The sandstone was quarried from the nearby hills. The building is now the Perry County Museum.
Old County Courthouse – Rome
Location: East Rome Road / South Rome Road
Built: 1818 – 1819
Style: Federal
Architect: Unknown
Contractor: Unknown
Description: The building faces east and is a two story wood frame structure. The building is located in the old Town Square on spacious landscaped grounds. On the center of the roof is a large octagonal cupola with steep roof. The roof is hipped.
Note: The old courthouse is the oldest standing courthouse in Indiana. The building ceased to be the courthouse in 1859.
Courthouses:
N – Dubois County and Crawford County
E – Crawford County , Meade County, Kentucky and Breckinridge County, Kentucky
S – Breckinridge County, Kentucky and Hancock County, Kentucky
W – Spencer County and Dubois County
County Courthouse
Old County Courthouse – Cannelton
Old County Courthouse – Rome
Photos taken 2007 and 2018