The History of Justice in Terre Haute

Located on third street, in between Wabash Avenue and Ohio Street, sits the Court House of Terre Haute. This large building consists of four floors and has a chandelier hanging in the center of the building right above the fourth floor. To enter this cornerstone of Terre Haute legislation, you must go through the west doors. Upon entering, you will be greeted by a metal detector and the police officer that operates it. Today, I decided to visit the Court House. After passing the detector and being deemed safe, I made my way around the first floor. I was able to gather some information about the Court House from a clerk who worked down on the first floor and discovered that there have been three Court Houses in Terre Haute history. The first one was built in 1818 in the same location as the Court House that people know today. The current Court House was built in 1888. At the center of every floor, except the first, is a little guard rail. This is to prevent people from falling as the look up and down at the other floors. Even if you don't have a court date at this destination, I implore anybody who appreciates good architecture to visit this building.

Fairbanks Memorial Library

The Emeline Fairbanks Memorial Library is located at 222 N. 7th street. This beautifully classical building is structured in the Beaux Arts style and was named after Emeline Fairbanks (The mother of the famous Crawford Fairbanks). It was build in 1906 and is made of limestone. The unversity gained possession of this local treasure in 1978. In 1984, the university decided to get it remodeled. The building now is quite different than the building shown here. However, it still maintains it's integrity. Most of the rooms inside are now utilized as classrooms. Upon entering the main doors, you are instantly caught in awe as you look up. Above the inside center of the building is a dome that has several paintings of famous people in a huge circle. As a walked through a door to access a full view, I noticed that I had walked into a student art gallery. In a complete 360 degrees around me, I was swarmed with artistic expression curtesy of the talented students that go to ISU. Feeling almost overwhelmed, I jolted my head back and forth, from one piece of art to another. However, I never escaped the ever present pull to look up. Finally, after viewing all the artwork around me, I tilted my head toward the heavens for a more in depth look at the doom. I noticed some of the names of the famous people paintings including Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and even Mark Twain. This building is a must for any person who has an appreciation for art, history, or who is of the belief that Terre Haute has nothing of interest to offer it's people.