Adair County is named for John Adair, who was a general in the War of 1812 and eighth governor of Kentucky.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Guthrie County
E – Madison County
S – Union County and Adams County
W – Cass County
Created: January 15, 1851
County Seat:
Fontanelle 1856 – 1874
Greenfield 1874 – present
County Courthouse – Greenfield
Location: 400 Public Square / Iowa Street & 1st Street
Built: 1891 – 1892
Style: Romanesque
Architect: S E Maxon
Contractor: H P Wind
Description: The building faces east and is a two story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds of the Public Square in the center of Greenfield. The east front has a one story portico with three stone trimmed arches. Above is an arched window with a third story dormer and behind it a higher peaked roof. The base of the building is course white colored stone. The roof is hipped. In the interior, the hallways are arched and the stairs are wood. The County District Court courtroom is located at the center of the second story. The building houses the County District Court of the 5B Judicial District. On the west side is an addition.
See: The architect S E Maxon also designed the courthouse in Fremont County.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Adair County Courthouse
See: The 5B Judicial District includes Clarke County, Decatur County, Lucas County, Ringgold County, Taylor County, Union County and Wayne County.
History: The county was created in 1851 and Fontanelle was selected as the county seat in 1856. The first courthouse was a small two story structure built in Fontanelle in 1856. The building was later used as a school and burned in 1910. The county seat was moved to Greenfield in 1874 and the second courthouse was a two story frame structure built in in 1874 at a cost of $8,000. The courthouse burned in 1889. An opera house served as the third courthouse. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1891 to 1892 at a cost of $26,768.
County Courthouse – Greenfield
County District Court courtroom
Opera House – Greenfield
Photos taken 2008, 2023 and 2024
Images 20*