Logan County, Ohio

Founding: December 30, 1817
Parent county: Champaign

Namesake: Benjamin Logan (c. 1742–1802), Kentucky militiaman
Seat: Bellefontaine (1820–)

Land area: 458 square miles

Population (2010): 45,858

Population (historic): 3,159 (1820); 19,162 (1850); 26,267 (1880); 28,981 (1930)

Periods of population growth: 1820–1850; 1870s; 1890s; 1950s; 1970s

Subdivisions: One city; 12 villages; three CDPs; 17 townships

National Register listings: Nine

Income (per capita): $22,974

Income (median household): $46,493
Business establishments: 860 (53.3 people per business)
Pre-1939 residences (estimated): 6,154 (26.6%)
Vacant houses: 4,681 (20.2%)
Sources of settlement: Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ireland

Bellefontaine

Namesake: French for "beautiful spring"

Founding: 1820 (platting); 1820 (post office); 1835 (incorporation)

Population (2010): 13,370

Population (historic): 170 (1820); 1,222 (1850); 3,998 (1880); 9,543 (1930)

Periods of population growth: 1820–1880; 1890–1920; 1950s
Typology: Grid (with public square)

Courthouse Prehistory

- Until 1820, when Bellefontaine was chosen as Logan County's seat, officials convened at the home of Samuel Rewell.

First Courthouse

Location: Bellefontaine

Construction: 1821–1822

Years of service: 1822–1833 (?)

Typology: Side-gabled; braced-frame; two-story

Style: Unknown

Builders: William Laften and Vachel Blaylock

Cost: $1,294 ($24,186 in 2017 dollars)

Status: Razed (converted into a hotel)

Features of note: Appearance unknown. One source reports dimensions of 36' by 24'.

Second Courthouse

Location: South Main Street (Bellefontaine)

Construction: 1831–1833

Years of service: 1833–1870

Typology: Cubic; brick; two-story

Style: Federal

Builders: William Bull, John Wheeler, and George Shuffleton

Cost: $1,900 ($48,953 in 2017 dollars)

Status: Razed

Features of note: Five-bay facade; jack-arched twelve-over-twelve windows; central cupola; Federal cornice molding; round-arched entry with Federal surround. One-story brick office buildings stood to the north and south.

For illustrations, see this page.

Third Courthouse

Location: 127 South Main Street (Bellefontaine)

Construction: 1870

Years of service: 1870–

Typology: Center-hall; stone; two-and-a-half-story

Style: Second Empire

Builder: Alexander Koehler

Cost: $105,398 ($2,074,776 in 2017 dollars)

Status: Extant; functional

Features of note: Central clock tower with pediments, entablature, and paneling; mansard roof with patterned slates; ornate iron roof cresting; dormers; round- and segmental-arched windows with keystones; corner pilasters; oversized Corinthian capitals; denticulate, modillion-adorned cornice; statue of Lady Justice.

More photos.

Sources: Wikipedia; Courthouse History; United States Census Bureau; History of Logan County and Ohio (Baskin, 1880).