Jay County Courthouse

120 N Court St.
Portland, IN

This stately bedford stone structure features columns, marble walls and floors and a soaring, domed, stained glass skylight. The ceiling’s rotunda features beautifully coloured paintings of early pioneers, the first log cabin, and the battle of Shiloh.

The courthouse was built during World War I, when labor and materials were scarce and expensive. When it was finished and dedicated in 1919, Jay Countians proudly said, “Here is our lasting monument to peace and victory. We built it during trying times and when we finished it, there was not a cent of indebtedness on it.” This fact will be a lasting tribute to the splendid and progressive citizenship of Jay County.