Lawrence County courthouse

Lawrence County courthouse

The next stop on the journey through Ohio’s county courthouses takes viewers to the southernmost part of the state along the Ohio River—Lawrence County!

Lawrence County was established in 1816 and was named after U.S. Navy Captain James Lawrence. He is known for the dying words he uttered during the War of 1812, “Don’t give up the ship,” later made famous by Commodore Perry’s battle flag.

The county’s first courthouse was built in Burlington, which served as the original county seat. As the iron industry boomed in Lawrence County, one of the local iron masters, John Campbell, presented the idea for a whole new town, aptly named Ironton.

Campbell and the iron masters paid for a new courthouse to be built in Ironton, which became the new county seat. All the county’s records were loaded on a flat boat and taken down the Ohio River into Ironton to the new courthouse which was completed in 1852.

After many years, the courthouse suffered a fire and was deteriorating. In 1906, it was decided to build a new one, which is still in use today. It now features historical artifacts of the town, highlighting the county’s rich history.

Learn more about Lawrence County and its history in the mini-documentary series, “Seats of Justice,” on the Ohio Channel.

Check back on new episodes on the exploration through Ohio’s county courthouses or watch past installments of the series!