Destinations Magazine

Greensburg, Indiana: Decatur County Courthouse Or What’s Up With The Tree?

By Jessicanunemaker @JessNunemaker
Greensburg, Indiana: Decatur County Courthouse

Greensburg, Indiana: Decatur County Courthouse

Greensburg, Indiana is a phenomenal small town. Shops and restaurants are all lined up along a spacious and well-kept square.

The Decatur Courthouse is really sharp, too. Keep looking up, though–you’ll notice a tree sticking out of the roof!

Decatur County Courthouse Tree

So–what’s with the tree? To answer that question, you have to go back a few years. Many years.

A very long time ago, what most folks agree was around 1870, a tree was noted to be sprouting on top of the very tall courthouse roof.

But the Decatur County Courthouse roof did not sustain just one tree at the time–it had five!

The roots of a tree can do a fair amount of damage–so all but one of the trees was removed.

Greensburg, Indiana Courthouse Tree

Greensburg, Indiana Courthouse Tree

Decatur County Courthouse Today

The tree you see on top of the Decatur  County Courthouse is not the tree from 1870. After the tree grows for a time, it does wither and die.

But don’t worry–a new tree always sprouts up in its place!

No one is sure exactly how the tree got up there or how it sustains itself–though my guess to its birth would include birds.

It’s certainly unusual. Go check out the towering Mulberry Tree for yourself. Greensburg, Indiana is an awesome Indiana town–and it’s certainly a site to see!

See Decatur County Courthouse images and other pictures in Greensburg, Indiana on my Flickr photostream.

Decatur County Courthouse
150 Courthouse Square
Greensburg, Indiana
812.663.8223

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