Daviess County is named for Joseph Hamilton Daviess, who was a lawyer killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe and who lived from 1774 to 1811.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Warrick County, Indiana and Spencer County, Indiana
E – Hancock County
S – Ohio County and McLean County
W – Henderson County
Created: January 14, 1815
County Seat:
Owensboro 1815 – present
County Courthouse – Owensboro
Location: 212 Saint Ann Street / West 2nd Street
Built: 1964 – 1965
Style: Modern
Architect: Max W Bisson & Associates of Owensboro
Contractor: Clark Construction Company
Description: The building faces north and is a two story gray stone and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Owensboro. The building is a U shape constructed with Indiana limestone. At each side of the building is a wall of limestone with narrow vertical openings which form the entrance porticos. The windows in the building are long and narrow. The roof line is flat. The former courtroom is located on the southeast corner of the second story.
County Judicial Center – Owensboro
Location: 100 East 2nd Street / Allen Street
Built: 1989 – 1991
Style: Modern
Architect: Collighnon & Nunley Architects
Contractor: R & W Construction Company
Description: The building faces north and is a four story stone, concrete and glass structure. The rectangular shaped building is located east of the courthouse and is faced with polished light pink colored stone. The north front has a recessed entrance at the center of the first story. The roof line is flat. The building is named as The Morton J Holbrook Jr. Judicial Center. The building houses the County Circuit Court and County District Court of the 6th Judicial Circuit. In 2003, a one story wing was constructed on the east side and the entrance became the main entrance. On the south side is the Robert M Kirtley Judicial Annex which was opened in 2006.
History: The county was created in 1815 and Owensboro was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was erected in 1815 and was torn down in 1819. The second courthouse was a small brick structure built in 1819 and dismantled in 1853. The third courthouse was built in 1853 and was burned in 1865 during the Civil War by Confederate troops as payback aimed at black soldiers who had been occupying the building. The fourth courthouse was designed by Bennett Trimble and B W McLoyd and constructed in 1868.on the same foundations. The building was remodeled by McDonald Brothers in 1887. The building was further remodeled in 1927 and.then demolished in 1964 when the fifth and present courthouse was constructed at a cost of $1,500,000. The County Judicial Center was constructed in 1989 to 1990.
County Courthouse – Owensboro
Picture 1868 County Courthouse
County Judicial Center – Owensboro
Robert M Kirtley Judicial Annex – Owensboro
Photos taken 2007, 2018 and 2026
Images 29