Miami County Courthouse and Power Station
Why it's listed
Miami County's courthouse in Troy, Ohio, is a 144-foot-square building in beaux-arts classic style, topped by a great central domed drum rising to 160 feet, with a statue of justice reaching 185 feet. Architect J. W. Yost of Columbus designed it, and contractor T. B. Townsend of Zanesville built it. The cornerstone was laid on July 16, 1885, and county offices were occupied in January 1888. Its construction settled a long dispute between Piqua and Troy over the county seat. The cost of $400,000 was remarkable for a rural county of about 40,000 people. Inside, four wainscoted halls meet beneath the dome, and the top-floor courtroom has polychrome fresco relief work. Across Water Street stands a brick power station, the first electrical generating plant in Troy. It supplied steam and electricity and, through a buried brick duct and an 86-foot chimney, provided a novel form of summer air conditioning. Its machinery is inactive but intact.
Significance in brief: The courthouse is described as a magnificent 'county capitol' noted for its elegance and proportions, built at a cost of $400,000 by a county of about 40,000 people. The power station, which was the first electrical generating plant in Troy, supplied electricity and steam heat and fed an unusual early air-conditioning system. The building also ended a feud between Piqua and Troy over the county seat.
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 75001490, listed May 30, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Bounded by Main, Short, Plum, and Water Sts., Troy |
|---|---|
| County | Miami County |
| Listed | May 30, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001490 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1885-1888 |
| Architect / builder | Architect J. W. Yost of Columbus; contractor T. B. Townsend of Zanesville |
| Architectural style | Beaux-arts classic detail in the American Capitol style |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Courthouse listed in fair condition and altered; the power station and its machinery are inactive but standing intact. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.04105, -84.20507 (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 75001490.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6827302
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.