The 1905 Courthouse which once sat at the center of the Lawrenceburg Square was an imposing and beautiful building.

But did you know that it was also ahead of its time?

When the courthouse was under construction, the Lawrence ‘Democrat’ reported that it would be wired for electricity and telephones.

That doesn’t seem like a big deal to us today, but when you consider that there were no electrical or telephone lines in town in 1905, it somewhat changes our perspective.

In fact, at the time they were building the courthouse, it would be two years before electricity was even available in Lawrence County.

The generation which built the 1905 courthouse believed in laying a good foundation for the next generation, even if it meant taking risks. They knew that the key to growing their community was to do things that their children would one day thank them for doing.

That is the attitude which fueled projects like the building of a beautiful courthouse with electrical hookups, opening a tuition-free high school years before most of the rest of the state did, and damming Shoal Creek to provide the people with reasonably-priced and reliable electricity.