Butler County is named for Richard Butler, who was a general and who was killed at the Battle of Wabash in 1791.
Created: March 24, 1803
County Seat:
Hamilton 1807 – present
Old County Courthouse – Hamilton
Location: 101 High Street / Front Street
Built: 1885 – 1889
Style: Romanesque
Architect: David W Gibbs & Company
Contractor: Freeman Compton Contractors
Description: The building faces east and is a three story buff colored stone structure. The east front has a porch supported by thin Ionic columns and with a balcony on the second story. The center section projects from the main building and rises to a pediment at the roof line with urn at the top. There are porches on each side and there is a mansard roof. On the center of the roof is a large octagonal clock tower. The original tower was once four-tiered, domed, and capped with a statue of Justice. This was destroyed in a fire in 1912 when the tower collapsed. It was replaced shortly thereafter with a massive tower and dome designed by local architect Frederick Mueller, but the dome was removed in 1926 after it was struck by lightning. The octagonal tower remains and contains a four-faced clock and is topped with eight spires around the top.
County Courthouse – Hamilton
Location: 315 High Street / South 3rd Street
Built: 1997 – 1999
Style: Modern
Architect: Lorenz & Williams Associates
Contractor: Corporex & CPX
Description: The building faces north and is an eleven story concrete and glass structure. The building is called the Butler County Government Services Center. On the north front, the first and second stories have vertical dividers with glass paneling behind. The central entrance is recessed with stone facing. On the northeast corner is a semi-circular glass entrance with large lobby connected to the Hamilton City Hall on the east side. The third story has decorative trim. The west part has a light brown colored paneling and the east part is white colored paneling. The roof line is flat.
County Administration – Hamilton
Location: 130 High Street / North 2nd Street
Built: 1974 – 1976
Style: Modern
Architect: Steed Hammond Paul
Contractor: A Benzing & Sons Inc.
Description: The building faces south and is a seven story brown colored brick structure.
See: Located in the county is the Ohio Court of Appeals – Middletown.
Courthouses:
N – Preble County and Montgomery County
E – Warren County
S – Hamilton County
W – Franklin County, Indiana and Union County, Indiana
Old County Courthouse
County Courthouse
County Administration
Photos taken 2012