Tippecanoe County Courthouse
| Dates: | 1881-1885 |
| Location: | Public Square, Lafayette, Indiana |
| architect: | Elias Max |
| Contractor: | Farman & Pearce, Chas. Pearce ($208,000 bid) |
| final Cost: | $500,000 |
The Tippecanoe County Courthouse is the third courthouse on this site. The first, built in 1829, was a Federal style brick building which was demolished in the mid-1840s. The second courthouse was a Greek Revival building built 1845-1847, possibly designed by architect George Brown. The second courthouse was quickly outgrown and suffered from maintinence problems and space limitations by the 1860s. The building was damaged by fire and was considered to be unsafe. The County Commissioners wished to replace the building with a permanent and durable landmark appropriate for "The Star City of the West."
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| View of the Tippecanoe County Courthouse in 2004 |
The Lafayette Daily Journal of Thursday, March 11, 1880, listed the twelve architects who submitted plans for the new courthouse: J. S. McKean & William F. Schrage, of Kansas City; George W. Bunting, of Indianapolis; Tolan & Son (Thomas J. & Brentwood), of Fort Wayne; G. P. Randall, of Chicago; Elijah E. Myers, of Detroit; Thomas J. Vater, of Indianapolis; Edward O. Fallis, of Toledo, Ohio; Brown, of Indianapolis; J. H. Stem, of Indianapolis; John C. Cochrane, of Chicago, O. H. Placey, of Chicago. [said to be one of the Elias Max plans]. Elias Max's submission was later selected by the Commissioners, amid much political controversy and fighting between the rival newspapers, the Journal and the Courier. The papers (each supporting a different political party) either defended or criticized Max, often rather harshly.
While historians in the 1980s claimed that James F. Alexander was the architect of the courthouse, I have found no evidence of this in any records of the period. During the debate over Elias Max's qualifications as an architect, Alexander was cited as an example of an architect with a legitimate education. He was in no way credited with the design of the building. Furthermore, the accusations of the newspapers suggested that Max had paid a draftsman to design the building. Other accusations that he had copied a design in Illinois lead to buildings which do not resemble the Max design. Some of O. H. Placey's courthouses follow a similar massing to that used by Max in this design - a main building with small corner towers and a central dome - but this was a typical form of the period, also seen in the works of Thomas & Brentwood Tolan of Fort Wayne (see the former Delaware County Courthouse in Muncie or the Kosciusko County Courthouse in Warsaw).
While it cannot be proven at this time whether or not Max designed the building, it is clear that Max's perspective drawing of the building was published before any other architects were involved. The Commissioners sought advice from other architects after the plan was questioned, but few seem to have responded. James F. Alexander was not involved in the project until he was hired as superintendent of construction. In this capacity, he may have influenced some of the interior details. However, Max had written a highly detailed set of specifications for the building which were published. There is no evidence that Alexander ever claimed to be the architect of the courthouse. "J. F. Alexander, Archtiect" appears on the cover of the Rules and Regulations for the Government of the Custodian and Janitor Service for Tippecanoe County Courthouse, Lafayette, Indiana (c.1885). While this could be taken as evidence of Alexander being the architect, it is presented in the same format as "Thos. J. Barnes, Auditor" and the names of three Commissioners.
In conculsion, there seems to be no evidence that James F. Alexander designed the Tippecanoe County Courthouse. Regardless of Elias Max's qualifications as an architect, he submitted the design which was carried out.
The cornerstone was laid October 26, 1882. Difficulties were encountered during construction when one of the contractors, Mr. Farman,died. His business partner, Charles Pearce, submitted a new bid for completing the building and was accepted.
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| View of the Courthouse, 1887 | View from A Glimpse of Lafayette, 1890 |
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| Postcard view, c.1915 | 2004 |
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| A popular view of the courthouse in 1971, prior to its restoration (taken by Bob Williams) | |
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| A summer-time view | |
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| The "classic" view of the courthouse dome, which rises over 200' above street level. | The Courthouse dome (with repainted clock faces) stands out against dark clouds. |
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| View along Third Street | Corner tower |
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| Entrance steps | Detail of sculpture in pediment |
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| View in main hall of first floor | Looking up in one of the internal light wells |
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| View of the tower from the 4th floor skylights | Looking up in the rotunda |
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| Sunlight streams down through an internal light well |
Pre-Restoration Views
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| 8-9-1989 The Second Floor Rotunda, note paint analysis on cornice to left of center | One of the staircases with hospital blue and white paint |
The Placey Design
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| Adams County Courthouse, Quincy, Illinois (c.1876, O. H. Placey, architect; destroyed by a tornado, 1945). This design seems to have been the source for Max's design for the Tippecanoe County Courthouse. |