 The county commissioners responded in March 1893 , to the Judge ’ s declaration that the ( original ) courthouse was inadequate . The three commissioners , T. T. McGeath , I. L. Hughs , and A. W. Miles , ordered that a new courthouse was necessary . A week later , they engaged the Marion firm of LaBelle and French as architects for the new courthouse . Since the original courthouse was condemned , and Judge Custer ( of the 48th Circuit Court of Indiana ) refused to use it , arrangements were made to use the nearby opera house for courtroom proceedings until a new courthouse was available . On May 20 , 1893 , the old courthouse building was sold for $ 20 , and removed from the grounds to enable construction of the new structure . In October , it was decided that the opera house was not suitable for courtroom proceedings because of possible theatrical conflicts , so rooms were rented at the newly built Briscoe Block building located on the south side of the courthouse square . Two rooms , with gas heat included , were rented for a total of $ 400 per year . One room would be for the circuit court , while the other was for the county clerk ’ s office . 
