Lake County (IN) Courthouse – Architectural Favorite

One of our home inspector’s favorites is the Lake County Courthouse, affectionately referred to as the “Grand Old Lady”. This beauty of a building eloquently offers a few architectural styles combined: Romanesque and Georgian. J. C. Cochran of Chicago, Illinois designed this ornate structure and it was erected in 1878. Brenda Versnel of McColly Real Estate was kind enough to share her story with Certified Home Inspections when asked about the city of Crown Point. Brenda remembers all the people that came to visit this historic structure and how they were so appreciative that they had an attractive and impressive courthouse in their hometown. This courthouse was threatened with talk of demolition and plans to be replaced with a parking lot. The dedicated residents of Crown Point saved the building on May 17, 1973 by having it added to the list of National Register of Historic Places. This registry protects historic landmarks from demolition or any alteration of the structure. The Lake County Courthouse has been meticulously maintained ever since and welcomes tourists, shoppers, and locals. Brenda informed us that the lower level of the “Grand Old Lady” was transformed to accommodate a host of unique shops. During the summer months our home inspectors enjoy cooling down with some ice cream from Valentinos, located in the courthouse. Brenda also shared with us how Johnny Depp visited Crown Point to film Public Enemies, a movie based on the life of outlaw John Dillinger. The citizens of Crown Point had a lot of fun experiencing a Hollywood- style situation right in their very own downtown square.