Pike County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Milford's courthouse, a two and one-half story brick building with a mansard roof and square frame cupola, was built in 1872-1873 on the town square after the county voted to replace its earlier stone courthouse. Its symmetrical facade has a projecting pedimented center, two entrance doorways, and paired Palladian-type windows set in the mansard, with the entrance windows topped by fanlights. The contract for building was let in March 1872 to A.D. Brown for $26,096, and the completed cost is given as about $45,000. The nomination treats it as a leading example of the French Renaissance style, sometimes called the "General Grant" style for its popularity during Grant's presidency. Pike County's government, records, and military honor rolls were kept in the building, which has been the county seat since 1874.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the courthouse is a fine example of the French Renaissance ("General Grant") style and that it anchors a town square surrounded by a district of architecturally significant buildings. It also cites its role as the seat of county government and the place where county records of local and regional activity from 1870 to 1930 were kept.
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 79002340, listed July 23, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Broad and High Sts., Milford |
|---|---|
| County | Pike County |
| Listed | July 23, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002340 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1873 |
| Architect / builder | A.D. Brown (architect/contractor); George Barton (listed with Brown as builder/architect) |
| Architectural style | French Renaissance |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Milford Historic District (Boundary Increase) |
| Coordinates | 41.32453, -74.80078 (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 79002340.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7193575
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.