Clermont County Courthouse

The Clermont County Courthouse is located at 270 East Main Street in Batavia, Ohio. It was built by the Works Progress Administration and opened in 1936.HistoryClermont County was established in 1804 under an enabling act passed by the Ohio General Assembly. The county seat was located at Williamsburg and construction of a courthouse began soon after. The cost of the courthouse was $1,499 and was designed by Nicholas Sinks. The two story stone structure was rectangular and was located in the public square. The courthouse remained in use until 1823.When Brown County was established in 1817, a large chunk of Clermont County went with it. During this time the General Assembly moved the county seat to New Richmond despite protests from Williamsburg. A site was planned and set aside for the courthouse in New Richmond but nothing was ever built. The General Assembly convened again and changed the county seat to Batavia on February 24, 1824.The Commissioners held a contest for the design of the courthouse and chose the plans from Ezekiel Dimmit for $3,484. The courthouse was designed in a combination of the Federal and Greek Revival styles. The building was rectangular in shape and contained a central projection containing a clock and capped by a cupola. The courthouse remained in service for nearly 108 years, until the county decided a larger courthouse was needed. Unfortunately for the county, an elaborate replacement was not feasible, due to the Great Depression.