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On July 13, 1803, Hamilton was chosen as the county seat for Butler County. The business of the county was conducted in existing residences and businesses . Israel Ludlow had donated land for a public square in 1803, but it was not until 1810 that a two-story county building was erected. This building was situated within the square formed by High, Court, Second, and Front streets. This earliest courthouse included a jail. |
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In 1817, a second larger courthouse was completed at a cost of approximately $11,000. In the ensuing years county office buildings were constructed on both sides of the courthouse. The building was remodeled in 1837 and served the county until it was razed in 1885. |
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| Funding for a new courthouse was approved by the Ohio
General Assembly on January 28, 1885. The cornerstone laying ceremony was
conducted on October 29, 1885. The principal speakers at the event
were State Senator George Elliott who had helped secure state funding for
the construction, and Thomas Millikin, a Hamilton lawyer.
The four-story building was readied by February 4, 1889. The total cost of the project was $305,000. |
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The courthouse suffered extensive damage in 1912 when
its tower caught fire. This neccessitated the building of a new tower
and dome. The dome portion was removed in 1926 due to its excessive
weight.
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© 1999 by the Butler County Historical Society
