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.
Surrounding County 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
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 llocated on spacious landscaped grounds to the east of Tell City. The central section is an octagonal structure with white colored cupola. The main north entrance has four large columns supporting a peaked roof. In the interior is a large open rotunda. On the east and west are large wings which extend north with white colored trim. The courtroom is along the rotunda. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 25th Judicial District.
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 and stone structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Cannelton 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. On the northeast side is the two story red colored brick former County Courthouse Annex.
Note: The cost of construction 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 in the center of Rome. On the center of the roof is a large octagonal cupola with steep roof. The roof is hipped. The second story contained the large courtroom.
Note: The old courthouse is the oldest standing courthouse in Indiana. The building ceased to be the courthouse in 1859 when the county seat was moved to Cannelton..
See: Similar square shaped Federal style courthouses are located in Dearborn County and Harrison County.
See: The 25th Judicial District includes Davies County, Dubois County, Knox County. Martin County, Pike County and Spencer County.
History: The county was created in 1814 and Troy was selected as the county seat. In 1818 the county seat was moved to Rome. The first courthouse was a two story structure built in 1818 to 1819 and is still standing. The county seat was moved to Cannelton in 1859. The second courthouse was a frame house acquired in 1859. The third courthouse was two story structure built in 1896 to 1897 at a cost of $30,000 and is still standing. In 1994 the county seat was moved to Tell City. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1992 to 1994.

County Courthouse – Tell City














Old County Courthouse – Cannelton







Former County Courthouse Annex – Cannelton



Old County Courthouse – Rome





Photos taken 2007 and 2018