Madison County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Madison County Courthouse sits on Public Square in London, Ohio, the seat of Madison County since about 1810. Designed by architect C. H. Maetzel and built by Doerzbach and Decker at a cost of $209,445, it was begun with a cornerstone laid on October 4, 1890, and took two years to complete. The roughly seventy-five-foot-square building rests on a stone foundation and has a slate mansard roof, a bracketed cornice, round-headed second-floor windows and a south tower with Doric columns, four clocks and a statue of justice. Inside, carved columns, paneling and wainscoting surround a vaulted second-floor ceiling made entirely of small stained glass panes. It replaced an earlier Federal style courthouse built before 1815. The nomination values it for its architecture, describing it as perhaps the finest Second Empire courthouse in Ohio and among the best preserved of its century, little altered since it was built.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the courthouse is architecturally significant, calling it perhaps the finest Second Empire courthouse in Ohio and one of the best preserved nineteenth century courthouses in the state. It has remained virtually unchanged since construction and retains an original stained glass vaulted ceiling.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 73001504, listed March 14, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Public Sq., London |
|---|---|
| County | Madison County |
| Listed | March 14, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001504 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (built 1890-1892) |
| Architect / builder | Architect C. H. Maetzel; built by Doerzbach and Decker, contractors |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition; occupied and in use as a county government building, owned by the county. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Within district | London Commercial Business Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.88672, -83.44909 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 73001504.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q136158809
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.