Lawrence

Formed January 7, 1818 (21^st county)

Lawrence County (45,015), Bedford (13,797)

A Neo-Classical masonry structure was constructed in 1930 to replace a nicer 1870 courthouse.  It is on a square on 15^th, I, 14^th, and J streets.  United States Highway 50 is 15^th Street in Bedford.  Walter Scholar provided for the building designs.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  The county was established on January 7, 1818 from Orange County as the 21^st county with Palestine as the first county seat.  Bedford assumed the role in 1825.  The county is named for War of 1812 naval hero Captain James Lawrence.  The county seat is named for Bedford County, Tennessee. 

Lawrence County government consists of a sheriff, an auditor, a clerk, a coroner, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 7 Council Members (legislative.)  A Circuit Court Judge, Two Superior Court Judges, and a prosecutor serve Lawrence County (judicial.) The county is in southern Indiana.  Indianapolis, Indiana is northeast and Louisville, Kentucky is southeast of the county.  The county center is in Bedford 1.1 miles Southwest of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Monroe, Jackson, Washington, Orange, Martin, and Greene counties. 

The area of the county is 449 square miles.  It is 20 out of 92 in the state.   It ranks 34 out of 92 in population in the state.  It has a density of 100.3 persons per square mile making it 41 out of 92 in the state.  Lawrence County has 41.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 50 crosses the county east to southwest from Jackson County to Martin County.  The county is an overall rectangle.  Bedford is located near the center of the county.  Bedford is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 30.7% of the county population.  This county is in the Bedford Micropolitan Statistical Area.