I was excited to visit the Bartholomew County Courthouse in Columbus because the Victorian…read morestructure is whimsical and lovely. The building was designed by Isaac Hodgson completed in 1874. The building is Registered as a Historic Landmark. The building is constructed of red brick and trimmed with limestone. The Courthouse is very much a working courthouse. The building house the Circuit Court and two Superior Courts. A person can get a marriage license, pay property taxes or go directly to jail here. I was excited about going inside and seeing what's in those fabulous towers. However, there is no walking tour and no photos are allowed inside. In fact, you must turn your phone off. The interior has been renovated multiple times removing original details. There was no grand atrium that I have seen in other Indiana courthouses. There is a lovely spiral staircase that goes up to the third floor. The courtrooms do have older style (1930's) chairs and bookcases. Many of the doors are antique as well. The courtyard outside has a gorgeous garden and water fountain. There are several war memorials surrounding the building. The grounds are immaculate. There is free parking around the square. Entrants to the building go through security. The guard was all business. There is an ADA access at a different entrance than the front. The businesses surrounding the courthouse are thriving. I would recommend a visit to the grounds of the courthouse as part of a visit to Columbus.

My second courthouse in Indiana and so far, I remain impressed. This is a beautiful structure and…read morewell worth a visit even if you're not here for court business. Batholomew County was formed in 1821and the count seat of Columbus was originally called Tiptona after John Tipton donated thirty acres for the building. Tipton went on to serve as state representative, Indian agent, and United States senator. The building was designed by Isaac Hodgson and was completed in 1874. It is the county's fourth courthouse and is in the Second Empire style. Constructed of red brick with white limestone trim, the foundation is rusticated blue limestone. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. [Review 20522 overall - 68 in Indiana - 1503 of 2023.]

Seymour, Jackson County Public Library. April 14,…read more2018....ahhh, spring into this wonderful Library! Clean and modern inside, and a nice place to get your "me" time indulgence in. Newspapers, magazines, DVD's, Films, and all the latest in publishing and digial media too!!! Folks here are helpful and friendly too. Go indulge your brain!

It's likely not surprising once you become aware that I'm a minister that I find myself…read moreparticularly fond of exploring churches and unique chapels. While Central Indiana is host to several very cool churches, for some reason the POW Chapel at Camp Atterbury has never really gotten the attention it deserves. This is further evidenced, much to my surprise, by this being the first review for this chapel that has been in existence since World War II in Edinburgh, Indiana. After the U.S. entered World War II, Camp Atterbury became the destination for 10-15,000 Italian and German POWs (Prisoners of War). In 1943, a group of Italian POWs were granted permission to build a small Roman Catholic chapel on a corner of the camp. They primarily used leftover brick and stucco and were able to construct an 11' x 16' chapel. The chapel included paintings of Mother Mary, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit depicted as a dove. Rumor has it that some of the painting and staining was completed by using berries and other items from the nearby woods along with their own blood. While Camp Atterbury remains an active base, the chapel itself fell into disrepair until the late 1980's and early 90's when the land containing the chapel was returned to Johnson County and the chapel became part of Johnson County Park. It received a significant renovation, with support from the Indiana Italian Heritage Society, in an attempt to restore it to something resembling its former life. From everything I've read, while it was a POW camp the treatment in the camp was largely humane. Only one person ever tried to escape, reportedly, and that was because he was going to be sent back. The POWs enjoyed quite a few privileges and some even worked on area farms. This is a chapel that can be visited. In fact, it's really the only thing remaining of the POW camp. At one point, someone protesting the government's involvement in the David Koresh/Waco fire attempted to burn this chapel down but they were unsuccessful in doing so. This is a fascinating part of Indiana history of which few people know. Even during the war, the fact that the U.S. had quite a few POW camps was kept fairly low profile. This chapel can still be visited, though signage to get to it isn't the greatest. While I usually doc exhibits that aren't completely accessible, the truth is the chapel has been maintained fairly faithfully to its original state and I can't bring myself to reduce a rating as this is too valuable a part of our history and I'm thankful it has been preserved.

The Brown County Court House is located in the county seat of Nashville, Indiana. The Court House…read moreis home to the Circuit Court. Unlike other counties in Indiana, there is no grand square with a domed top building. The Court House is a colonial red brick, older building that stands surrounded by beautiful trees and inviting park benches. The current 2-story building was built in 1874 by McCormack and Sweeney of Columbus, Indiana at the cost of $9000. The building replaced an earlier structure that was destroyed by fire at the same location. The court room and jury rooms are on the second floor and general offices are on the first floor. The Court House is part of a series of historic buildings that tourists can visit. A historic log-cabin jail and historic society are among the buildings. A modern addition was added to the back of the courthouse and serves as the new entry, which enables accessibility. In front of the Courthouse is a small war memorial to recognize those from the area that served.

The Grover Museum does a remarkable job of preserving artifacts and stories from Shelby County. My…read morefavorite exhibit includes the mock stores that showcase 100+ year old goods and furniture from the local barbershop, drugstore, butcher shop, telephone operators and more. Visitors can walk through quickly with kids and talk about technology and people of the past. I stopped by the museum to get information about the local courthouse. I was greeted by Sarah Richardt, the new curator of the museum. Sarah told me what I could find in the museum and offered to arrange for me to meet with a local judge to discuss the courthouse. Wow! (The people in Shelby county are the nicest.) A timeline exhibit, archives the names and dates for the building and history of Shelbyville and the county. I was able to find information I needed here. The railroad room has a working toy train and stories about the local railroad. Downstairs, historical information about local industry and technology are described. There is a small gift shop at the front of the museum. The building is old with stairs, but there is a rear entrance near an elevator for wheelchairs and strollers. The museum hosts a summer camp and other activities throughout the year. There are play/learning areas set up throughout the facility Admission is free to the museum and donations accepted. There is free street parking outside. Public restrooms are available. Grover Museum is one of the best small town museums that I have visited.

A GREAT small-town museum! As others mentioned, the "Streets of Old Shelby" exhibit is an…read moreinteresting condensed exhibit of a small town from the late 1800s/early 1900s. They have recently remodeled the lower level sections to focus on a photography studio from many years ago and see the town through their lens (literally). They also created a new interactive exhibit that includes both the natural history of the area and the manufacturing history. Both areas of focus pull in personal stories and connections as you learn and discover. The sister city exhibit that educates about their sister city of Shizuoka, Japan is equally insightful with statistics and an interactive chance to make your own block print. The upstairs features interactive components while educating on the history of Shelbyville's downtown square and how it has changed through time. The museum is FREE and supported by donations so please contribute if you enjoyed your time! An interesting stop off the main road of sites. A 2-3 hour visit would allow you to see most exhibits but one could spend longer.

Located in the heart of Nashville (Indiana), this marker points out why there is so much art and so…read moremany artworks here in town. The marker is close to restaurants, shopping, the Brown County Art Gallery and so much more. There is free street parking nearby. It reads, "Attracted by the area's natural beauty and its residents' rustic lifestyles, a group of professional artists began working in Brown County by 1908. The Brown County Art Colony gained renown as its members exhibited regularly, first in the Midwest, then nationally. Many of the artists worked to capture the character of the landscape in an American Impressionist style. The colony prospered during the American Regional Art Movement (1920s-1940s) and fueled economic development of the region. In response to increased demand for their work, the artists and local partners established the Brown County Art Gallery nearby in 1926. In 1954, several of the colony's original artists founded an additional gallery, the Brown County Art Guild." This is marker number 07.2021.1 and it was erected in 2021 by the Indiana Historical Bureau, Peaceful Valley Heritage Preservation Inc., and the Brown County Community Foundation. [Review 20540 overall - 84 in Indiana - 1521 of 2023.]