Darke County, Ohio

Founding: March 1, 1817 (declared in 1809)
Parent county: Miami

Namesake: William Darke (1736–1801), Revolutionary War captain
Seat: Greenville (1817–)

Land area: 598 square miles

Population (2010): 52,959

Population (historic): 3,622 (1820); 26,009 (1860); 42,532 (1900); 38,009 (1930)

Periods of population growth: 1820–1880; 1940–1980

Subdivisions: One city; 20 villages; 20 townships

National Register listings: 25

Income (per capita): $21,483

Income (median household): $44,280
Business establishments: 1,164 (45.5 people per business)
Pre-1939 residences (estimated): 8,211 (36.2%)
Vacant houses: 1,765 (7.8%)
Sources of settlement: Pennsylvania, Germany, Virginia, Maryland, and France

Greenville

Namesake: Fort Greenville (built in 1793), which once occupied the city's site

Founding: 1808 (platting); 1815 (post office)

Population (2010): 13,227

Population (historic): 793 (1840); 2,520 (1870); 5,501 (1900); 7,036 (1930)

Periods of population growth: 1830–1890; 1900–1920; 1930–1970
Typology: Grid (with interrupting public square)

First Courthouse

Location: Third Street Street (Greenville)

Construction: 1824

Years of service: 1824–1834

Typology: "I" house; braced-frame; two-story

Style: None

Builder: John Craig

Cost: Unknown

Status: Razed (after being converted into a residence)

Features of note: Four-bay facade; exposed firebox.

Second Courthouse

Location: Greenville

Construction: 1833–1834

Years of service: 1834–1870

Typology: Cubic; brick; two-story

Style: Federal

Architect: Allan LaMotte

Cost: $2,490 ($62,044 in 2017 dollars)

Status: Razed

Features of note: Central octagonal cupola; doorway with fanlight.

Third Courthouse

Photo by Nyttend.

Location: 504 South Broadway Street (Greenville)

Construction: 1870–1874

Years of service: 1874–

Typology: Center-hall (rectangular); stone; three-story (with raised basement)

Style: Italianate

Architect: Edwin May

Cost: $170,000 ($3,743,396 in 2017 dollars)

Status: Extant; functional

Features of note: Paneled clock tower; statue of Lady Justice; three-bay facade; projecting central bay; paneled cornice with intricately carved brackets; round-arched, bracket-supported window pediments; segmental-arched two-over-two windows; Corinthian corner pilasters; round-arched entry with ornate balustrade and carved surround.



Source: Wikipedia; Courthouse History; United States Census Bureau; The History of Darke County, Ohio (Beers, 1880).