Wordless Wednesday: Randolph County Courthouse in Winchester

I have seen many courthouses while traveling the state but I’ve gotta tell you that the Randolph County Courthouse in Winchester, Indiana ranks high on my list of favorites! Since it is Wordless Wednesday again, I will try to keep it brief.

This is stately and stunning and oh so unique! It’s hard to believe that people wanted to tear it down to the ground. But, that is exactly what almost happened–thank goodness for the Calendar Girls. Randolph County Board of Commissioners voted to destroy the incredible 130 year old building back in 2005. A group of seven silver-haired bridge players decided that enough was enough–they were not going to give in so easy!

So, they gathered together, making a bold move to bare it all for a calendar! Well, almost all anyway due to strategically positioned mini porcelain replicas of the Randolph County Courthouse. These women aged in range from 77 — 94. I love that they took matters into their own hands. They weren’t going to sit idly by, ho-humming at the loss of a town icon and an irreplaceable piece of history. They recognized the importance of this downtown building and knew it needed to be saved! I think we can all learn something from that.

Interestingly enough, the government website mentions the courthouse, and that it had a bit of renovation, but neglects the rest of the story! It is sincerely unfortunately when “people in power” cannot see what makes their town amazing. I would have traveled to Winchester just to see this beautiful building alone. After a look at the images below, I think you will agree.