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.