Adair County is named for John Adair, who was a general in the War of 1812 and eighth governor of Kentucky.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Guthrie County
E – Madison County
S – Union County and Adams County
W – Cass County
Created: January 15, 1851
County Seat:
Fontanelle 1856 – 1874
Greenfield 1874 – present
County Courthouse – Greenfield
Location: 400 Public Square / Iowa Street & 1st Street
Built: 1891 – 1892
Style: Romanesque
Architect: S E Maxon
Contractor: H P Wind
Description: The building faces east and is a two story red colored brick structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Greenfield. The east front has a one story portico with three stone trimmed arches. Above is an arched window with a third story dormer and behind it a higher peaked roof. The base of the building is course white colored stone. The courtroom is located on the second story. The building houses the County District Court of the 4 Judicial District.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Adair County Courthouse
See: The 5B Judicial District includes Clarke County, Decatur County, Lucas County, Ringold County, Taylor County, Union County and Wayne County.
History: The county was created in 1851 and Fontanelle was selected as the county seat in 1856. The first courthouse was a small two story structure built in Fontanelle in 1856. The building was later used as a school and burned in 1910. The county seat was moved to Greenfield in 1874 and the second courthouse was a two story frame structure built in in 1874 at a cost of $8,000. The courthouse burned in 1889. An opera house served as the third courthouse. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1891 to 1892 at a cost of $26,768.

County Courthouse – Greenfield








Opera House – Greenfield
Photos taken 2008