Henry

Formed December 31, 1821 (39^th county)

Henry County (48,912), New Castle (17,410)                

A predominant clock tower tops the red/brown brick courthouse built in 1869.  A Justice Center was added in 2001.  The courthouse is located at Main and Broad streets.  Indiana State Highway 38 is Broad Street in New Castle.  Isaac Hodgson provided for the building designs in the Italianate style.  The courthouse was enlarged in 1905.  The county was formed on December 31, 1821 from Native American Territory as the 39^th county with New Castle as the only county seat.  It is named for American Statesman Patrick Henry.  The county seat is named for New Castle, Kentucky. 

Henry County government consists of a sheriff, 3 Commissioners, and 7 Council Members.  Four Circuit Court Judges serve Henry County.  The county is in eastern Indiana.  Indianapolis, Indiana is west and Fort Wayne, Indiana is north of the county.  The county center is 2.7 miles West-Southwest of New Castle.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Delaware, Randolph, Wayne, Fayette, Rush, Hancock, and Madison counties. 

The area of the county is 392 square miles.  It is 52 out of 92 in the state.   It ranks 29 out of 92 in population in the state.  It has a density of 124.8 persons per square mile making it 30 out of 92 in the state.  Henry County has 52.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 70 crosses the southern part of the county east to west from Wayne County to Hancock County.  United States Highway 35 clips the northeast corner of the county from Delaware County, north, to Randolph County, east.  United States Highway 36 goes east to west from Randolph County to Madison County.  United States Highway 40 parallels Interstate Highway 70 from Wayne to Hancock counties.  The county is a rectangle with outcroppings on the east and southwest edges.  New Castle is located near the county’s center.  New Castle is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 35.6% of the county population.  This county is in the New Castle Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Shirley