Civil and Judicial Organization of the
County Sheriff, Jail & Court

"The Act of March 10, 1806 provided for the judicial and civil organization of the new county following the first election of county officers October 14. The 1st court convened December 8 in a log tavern in Indiana. A stone jail was completed in 1807 and courthouse in 1809.

   Sheriff... Following this act, Thomas McCartney was the first sheriff of the county. Given the wording of the act it is assumed he was elected into office. As a further was to organize the county, Jas. McLain was appointed by Governor McKean to the office of Prothonotary, clerk of the Sessions and Orphans court and Register and Recorder, by commissions dated October 2, 1806.

   Jail... The first building in the county of a public nature was a jail, built under the direction of Sheriff Thomas McCartney. It was about 16 feet square built of shell bark hickory logs, split in two pieces. Conrad Rice, an aged citizen of the town, helped to haul the logs and put the building up. The first prisoner confined in this jail was a Hibernian (Irishman) named Patrick Short. Pat, who came to this country because it was a "land of the largest liberty", did not like the this confinement and dug out under the jail and left in utter disgust for parts unknown.
   The next public building was the old stone jail. It was completed in 1807. John Jamison was the contractor. Its dimensions were 36x30 feet. The court held its sittings in the upper story, until the first courthouse was built.
   The 4th county jail/Sheriff's house was designed by C.H. Sparks and built by John Hastings. There were 12 rooms in the house, including an office for the Sheriff. This building stands today on the corner of North 6th Street and Nixon Avenue in Indiana. It is now recognized by the Pennsylvania inventory of Historic Places.

   Court... In 1806, the official business of the county was transferred from Greensburg when the first session of the Indiana County Court was held on the second floor of Peter Sutton's Tavern in the town of Indiana.
   Three years later the first Court House was built. This building still stands, in front of the old jail, on the corner of North 6th Street and Philadelphia Street.