Old Todd County Courthouse (1835–1857) Todd County, Kentucky's first courthouse was built at the direction of Major John Gray, and completed in 1835. The courthouse is a sister building to the Green River Girls School which was built in the same year. Bricks used were fired on the site. The construction of the courthouse which occupies the center square in Elkton, was authorized by the Fiscal Court, Tuesday, November 11, 1834, at which time they arranged for the selection of a building site.
The Commissioners further mandated the county to meet the cost in three payments, the first of which would come from unappropriated funds, which were being held by the sheriff. Thereafter, the balance would be remitted in two equal payments. Jesse Russell, of Elkton, was employed to supervise the construction, along with Commissioner Hazel Petrie. There are two accounts of the building of the walls. Russell is said to have hired four brickmasons, each of whom was to construct a wall: the mason with the best wall was to receive a gold watch.
In another account, Jesse Russell and another brick mason were said to have boasted on their masonry skills. To settle the dispute, each was told to build a wall. Each man bet upon himself and Russell's wall was superior. The building was completed in 1835.
In 1865, Union troops occupied the Confederate courthouse and later used it as headquarters. After the courthouse was abandoned, the Union troops left the building in shambles. The destruction of the structure brought anger to Todd Countians and six years later, an extensive remodeling project was completed which totally restored and updated the Courthouse.
The town clock was purchased by the city and county in 1888. The clock tower was added at a later time period, during the stick style period. During another restoration project in 1975 the courthouse was designated as a National Historic Landmark. The house is also protected by the National Park Service. In 1961 city officials voted to paint all woodworking and the clock tower white for lack of funds. The clock tower was originally an array of orange, beige, and olive green.
The interior architecture was destroyed in 1961 when the layout of the building was compromised and historical moldings and fireplaces were concealed. In the following years the court out-grew the courthouse and moved to a new location in southern Elkton. The courthouse currently stands in downtown Elkton and is owned by Todd County government and leased to the City of Elkton.
Famous quotes containing the words todd, county and/or courthouse:
“My evil genius Procrastination has whispered me to tarry ‘til a more convenient season.”
—Mary Todd Lincoln (1818–1882)
“I could draw Bloom County with my nose and pay my cleaning lady to write it, and I’d bet I wouldn’t lose 10% of my papers over the next twenty years. Such is the nature of comic-strips. Once established, their half-life is usually more than nuclear waste.”
—Berkeley Breathed (b. 1957)
“... research is never completed ... Around the corner lurks another possibility of interview, another book to read, a courthouse to explore, a document to verify.”
—Catherine Drinker Bowen (1897–1973)