History

Noble County was formed by the General Assembly in 1836. Named after James Noble, the first U.S. Senator from Indiana, it has had multiple county seats, first in Sparta in 1836, then Augusta in 1837, followed by Port Mitchell in 1844. The seat moved to what is now called Albion in 1846, a place then referred to as "Center". 

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This location was selected to serve as the county seat in a runoff election. The arrival of the railroad in 1847 brought prosperity and major construction on the courthouse square from 1880 to 1890.

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The first two courthouses at this site were destroyed by fire in 1847 and again in 1860. 

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In 1889, the current Richardson Romanesque-style courthouse, downtown Albion's "anchor", was completed. It was designed by E.O. Fallis & Co, Toledo, OH and was listed alone on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

 

Ninety-nine years later, the Courthouse Square Preservation Society, Inc. was founded. The non-profit organization was created by local residents and leaders to preserve and celebrate the history of the courthouse square. Since then the Society has sponsored seasonal floral displays and several special, anniversary celebrations. In 2021, the Society merged with the Albion S.T.A.R. Team, with the S.T.A.R. Team's leadership and volunteers taking over the reigns and vowing to continue to carry out the Society's mission. The Albion S.T.A.R. team follows the four-pronged approach of Main Street™ America. 

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The Courthouse Square Historic District, which encompasses 61 contributing buildings around the square and in the surrounding residential area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013 and now serves as host to a variety of downtown events, celebrations, and activities hosted by the Albion S.T.A.R. Team and local businesses.