Brownstown is a town within Brownstown Township and the county seat of Jackson County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,947 at the 2010 census. It was named for Jacob Brown, a general of the War of 1812. History The town of Brownstown was platted on 8 April 1816, notably prior to the statehood of Indiana itself. Brownstown became the county seat of Jackson County in November 1816, replacing Fort Vallonia, which had only been the county seat since June of that year. The land for the Jackson County Court House, which rests in the heart of Brownstown on the square, was donated by Col. John Ketcham (1782–1865) for this specific function. The Jackson County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. Geography Brownstown is located at (38.879823, -86.046163). According to the 2010 census, Brownstown has a total area of , of which (or 99.38%) is land and (or 0.63%) is water. Brownstown lies on the East Fork of the White River, bordered by the Jackson-Washington State Forest and near the Hoosier National Forest. Demographics 2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 2,947 people, 1,175 households, and 792 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 1,282 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.3% White, 0.1% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population. There were 1,175 households, of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.6% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age in the town was 38.7 years. 25.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.2% were from 25 to 44; 23.5% were from 45 to 64; and 18.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.