Students Cannelton

The Old Perry County Courthouse
(now called the Perry County Museum)

The old Perry County Courthouse was built of Bedford Limestone in 1896. It was a while in coming. In 1858 the Perry County Courthouse was moved to Cannelton after a two year petition of Perry Countians was passed around for the removal of the Courthouse from Rome. The actual first courthouse in Cannelton was a building in the center of city park that was formerly a school. The county records, it is told, were secretly taken out of the Rome courthouse and taken to Cannelton by a barge, by moonlight. There was a big celebration on the moving of the county seat to Cannelton at the Mozart Hall which was located on the corner of Front and Madison Streets. This building was later destroyed during the 1937 flood. In 1896 the city of Cannelton presented Perry County with a beautiful straw-colored brick courthouse located on the corner of Seventh and Taylor Streets (facing Seventh Street). An architect from Louisville, Kentucky named John Bacon Hutchings designed the courthouse. On September 10, 1896 the cornerstone was laid. The building cost the citizens $30,000. They raised the money through many fund raisings. It is said that a neighboring city, Tell City, also began building a building that was to be the Perry County Courthouse at the same time. As it turned out, Cannelton finished this building first, and so Cannelton became the Perry County Courthouse.

The Perry County Courthouse remained in Cannelton until mid 1990s when Tell City became the official county seat of Perry County. The Old Perry County Courthouse building in Cannelton is now the home of the Perry County Museum. It has quite a collection of artifacts of Perry County History and many exhibits are being added. 

The Old Perry County Courthouse Museum is a non-for -profit organization dedicated to the collection and preservation of local history and artifacts. Some of the exhibits there are Native American artifacts, Perry County fossils and minerals, Cotton Mill textile artifacts, antique photographs, a blacksmith shop and so much more. The Museum also is host to many special events like the Quilt show or the dol show. The museum is open from 1-4 on Sundays and other times by appointment.

by TJ and Keagon C.

Secret letter (write it down, with its rank number) 4 = e