There Are More Historic Places In This Rural Indiana County Than We Can Possibly Count
By Tori Jane|Published August 28, 2023
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Tori Jane
Author
Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
Knox County, Indiana, is a place filled with wonder and intrigue. Why? Easy: it’s the oldest county in Indiana, making it rich with history and ultra-interesting to explore for a day or two (or maybe even longer). At the time of this writing, Knox County is home to more than 20 places on the National Register of Historic Places. Each of them is interesting enough to visit, I think, and even folks not all that interested in history will find something to enjoy. Come out to beautiful Knox County, Indiana, and explore all things that once were – things that paved the road for who we are today. It’s one of many counties with numerous historic towns in Indiana just waiting to be discovered!
Knox County is one of two counties originally established way back when in 1790, making it more than two centuries old with no signs of slowing down any time soon.
The population has wavered over the decades and has had periods of ups and downs - as is to be expected when you've got a 200+ year old history to contend with. In just about every single town that called Knox County home, you'll find an array of intriguing historic places.
The Knox County Courthouse (pictured above and in the photo before) is a work of art located in Vincennes, which just so happens to be the oldest town in the Hoosier State.
Knox County Courthouse Annex, 111 N 7th St, Vincennes, IN 47591, USA
Vincennes is an excellent option for anyone seeking a good historic day trip in Indiana, as a good chunk of the historic places within Knox County are located here.
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The old George Rogers Clark National Historic Site is a must-do while in Vincennes.
It was built in 1931, making it one of the (ironically) younger buildings in town. It was listed to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966 and you can even tour it sometimes!
Another point of interest in Vincennes (of many) is the old Pyramid Mound, an old Native American mound dating back hundreds and hundreds of years thought to be a prehistoric religious site.
Another point of interest in Vincennes (honestly, most of the historic places of Knox County are in Vincennes, if you couldn't tell) is the oldest building in Indiana: a Presidential mansion called Grouseland.
Built between 1802 and 1804, it's an absolutely fascinating old mansion and is definitely worth a tour.
There's something very spellbinding about these old homes and all the history they contain; they tell many stories, and tours let us listen to those stories closely.
Additional historic places worth checking out include the old St. Francis Xavier Cathedral (built in 1826, pictured below), the Old State Bank (built in 1838), and pretty much the entire Vincennes Historic District.
There are other towns and townships within Knox County as well, though they don't tend to get the same kind of attention Vincennes does. A few of these towns include Bicknell, Edwardsport, and Monroe City (to name a handful). Other towns have other historic places, too, like the Alfred Simonson House in Edwardsport (built 1873) and the Andrew Nicholson Farmstead in Steen Township (built 1863).
If you're a fan of all the interesting old bridges in Indiana, you'll want to check out the old County Bridge no. 45, which is also in Steen Township (built 1903).
Of course, the list of places to check out and explore continues far beyond this article; I suppose you'll just have to put together your own adventure and hit all the ones you find most interesting!
Want to make it a road trip? Pack all the essentials with our awesome Road Trip Packing List. What are your favorite historic places in Indiana? How many of them are in ol’ Knox County? Let me know!
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