Owen County Courthouse and Jail

The Owen County Courthouse and Jail in Owenton, Kentucky was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.[1] The complex of two buildings also contributes to the National Register-listed Central Owenton Historic District.

Owen County Courthouse and Jail
Courthouse in 2012
Location100 N. Thomas and 102 N. Madison Sts.,
Owenton, Kentucky
Coordinates38°32′10″N 84°50′15″W
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1857–58, c.1868
Built byW.C. Cook
ArchitectH.P. McDonald
Architectural styleGreek Revival, Italianate
Part ofCentral Owenton Historic District]{
NRHP reference No.76000937[1]
Added to NRHPMay 6, 1976

The courthouse, whose main part was built in 1857–58, is described in its NRHP nomination as: "one of the finest of smaller Kentucky Greek Revival temple-form courthouses. The architect is unknown, and the style did form a kind of vernacular that might have allowed a builder to erect even so satisfying a design. The handsome cupola is rather more substantial than many, and the treatment of the panelled sides is simpler but perhaps more effective." One-story wings were added in 1868.[2]

The jail is a nearly cubic-shaped two-story building which faces east towards the courthouse from across N. Madison St. It is a "surprisingly charming jail", builtd during 1874 to 1876 to a design by architect H.P. McDonald. It is the first known design by McDonald and is Italianate in style; Italianate features include decorative brackets under its low hipped roof and arched tops of second-story window openings.[2] It was relatively “humane” in its design when built.[2]

In 1974 both courthouse and jail still served the county in their original purposes.[2]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Louella Forsee (August 21, 1874). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Owen County Courthouse and Jail". National Park Service. Retrieved December 17, 2017. With six photos from 1973-75.
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