The present courthouse was started with the laying of a 10,000-pound cornerstone in August 1884. The courthouse was completed in 1888. The courthouse was dedicated on June 7, 1888. Samuel L. Hannaford of Cincinnati was the architect and Terre Haute Stone Co. was the builder. The 74,515 square-foot courthouse was built at a cost of $443,000. It is made from Indiana limestone from quarries in Stinesville. Col. Francis Vigo, after whom the county is named, in his will gave $500 from his estate for the courthouse bell. The two-ton bell was bought for $2,500. The courthouse is 226 feet wide from north to south, 277 feet long from east to west. The total height measured from the ground to the top of the cupola is 284 feet.
The courthouse is made from Indiana limestone gathered from Stinesville, Indiana quarries.
Indiana limestone is a common regional term for Salem limestone, a geological formation primarily quarried in south central Indiana, United States, between Bloomington and Bedford.
Bedford, Indiana, has been noted to have the highest quality quarried limestone in the United States. Salem limestone, like all limestone, is a rock primarily formed of calcium carbonate. The limestone was deposited over millions of years as marine fossils decomposed at the bottom of a shallow inland sea which covered most of the present-day Midwestern United States during the Mississippian Period.
Indiana limestone is part of a high-end market. It is mostly used on the exterior of homes and commercial buildings. With the impact of acid rain it is not used in monuments as it was in the 19th century. The Salem Formation for this area is exceptionally deep at over 90 feet thick in some areas. This makes it a prime building limestone because of its extreme durability.
Indiana Limestone is also very good for carving. It accepts and retains very fine detail. Many famous carvers moved to southern Indiana and began to change their medium to limestone. Their work can be seen on many buildings, gravestones, memorials, and other carvings.
The courthouse has a U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey marker - No. B293 - placed on the north side of the building in 1956. The marker is 3.5 feet above the sidewalk and indicates the courthouse is 506 feet above sea level. You can log the benchmark here.
The dome is also a benchmark that can be logged here.
To log this earthcache, please send answers to the following questions to my account:
- What color is the limestone on the Vigo County Courthouse?
- Do you see any fossils in the limestone courthouse?
- Why do you think the limestone was brought in from Stinesville, Indiana instead of using local products?
- Post a picture of yourself (face not required) or a personal item at the coordinates.