The Decatur County Courthouse is a historic

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

building located at Greensburg, Decatur County, Indiana. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1973. It is best known for having a growing tree on its roof.

History

The original courthouse was built in the 1820s when a log building was erected. On May 14, 1822, the first board of directors of the court met at the house of Thomas Hendricks, the owner of the double log building. A few years later, a small brick building, measuring two stories high and forty feet square, was built on the public square. Court was held in this structure until 1855. Building of the present structure commenced in 1850; it was completed in 1861, at a cost of $100,000. At the time, it was called the finest courthouse in the state. ''Note:'' This includes and Accompanying photographs. In the early 1870s, it was noticed that a tree was growing on the roof. Soon four more trees were counted on the roof of the one hundred and ten foot steeple. This rapid growth of trees raised fears among county officials that permanent damage would be caused to the tower. In 1888, a

steeplejack A steeplejack is a craftsman who scales buildings, chimneys, and church steeples to carry out repairs or maintenance. Steeplejacks erect ladders on church spires, industrial chimneys, cooling towers, bell towers, clock towers, or any other hi ...

was hired to help workers scale the building and remove a few of the shrubs. Of the two trees left, one eventually reached a height of fifteen feet, with a base diameter of five inches. At some point, another tree began to grow on the southeast corner of the tower and reached a large height within a few years. As this tree was growing, another tree sprung up on the southwest corner. The exact species of these trees has been a matter of debate. The

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

stated that the trees were

large-tooth aspen ''Populus grandidentata'', commonly called large-tooth aspen, big-tooth aspen, American aspen, Canadian poplar, or white poplar, is a deciduous tree native to eastern North America. Name The name ''Populus'' is from the Latin for poplar, and ' ...

s, but a more recent study by

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

foresters has showed that the current tree is a

mulberry ''Morus'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of diverse species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 identif ...

."Greensburg's famous tower tree"
decaturcounty.in.gov. Retrieved 23 January 2011. In 1994, a renovation and expansion of the courthouse took place on the north end of the building. The floorspace of the building was more than doubled. At that time, the

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...

that covered the building was removed and the original

brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

facing was revealed.

References

External links

Photographs of the Decatur County Courthouse
from the Ball State University Digital Media Repository {{National Register of Historic Places in Indiana Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana County courthouses in Indiana Romanesque Revival architecture in Indiana Government buildings completed in 1854 National Register of Historic Places in Decatur County, Indiana Buildings and structures in Decatur County, Indiana Clock towers in Indiana 1854 establishments in Indiana Historic district contributing properties in Indiana