Putnam

Formed December 31, 1821 (45^th county)

Putnam County (36,728), Greencastle (9,803)

The Neo-Classical masonry courthouse, located on a square at Washington, Jackson, Franklin, and Indiana streets, was built in 1905.  United States Highway 231 passes in front of the courthouse as Jackson Street.  John W. Gaddis is the courthouse architect.  The building features a dome and columns.  A drone and veteran memorials are on the grounds.  There was an earlier courthouse built in 1855.  Revolutionary War General Israel Putnam is the namesake for the county.  The county seat is named for Greencastle, Pennsylvania.  The county was created on December 31, 1821 from parts of Owen County and Native American Territory as the 45^th county with Greencastle as the only county seat. 

Putnam County government consists of a sheriff, 3 Commissioners, and 7 Council Members.  A Circuit Court Judge and a Superior Court Judge serve Putnam County.  The county is in western Indiana.  Indianapolis, Indiana is east and Terre Haute, Indiana is southwest of the county.  The county center is 5.2 miles Northeast of Greencastle nearer Brick Chapel.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Montgomery, Hendricks, Morgan, Owen, Clay, and Parke counties. 

The area of the county is 481 square miles.  It is 15 out of 92 in the state.   It ranks 41 out of 92 in population in the state.  It has a density of 76.4 persons per square mile making it 49 out of 92 in the state.  Putnam County has 39.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 70 crosses the southern part of the county east to southwest from Morgan County to Clay County.  United States Highway 40 parallels Interstate Highway 70 from Hendricks County to Clay County.  United States Highway 231 goes north to south from Montgomery County to Owen County.  The county is overall a rectangle is an extended ledge on the southeast.  Greencastle is slightly south and west of center in the county.  Greencastle is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 26.7% of the county population.  This county is in the Indianapolis-Carmel Metropolitan Statistical Area.