Located on the banks of the Ohio River in Perry County, Indiana, this building was built in 1818 in the thriving community of Rome, the county seat at that time. Rome was a vibrant center of passage to the frontier and a gateway to the West through the Trace to Vincennes. Rome must have seemed the center of civilization to early pioneers crossing the Ohio.

This is one of only two surviving Indiana public buildings from that era still standing in place.

Over its two centuries of existence, this structure has been in continuous use, first as a courthouse, then as a private academy, a public high school, an elementary school, and now as a community center.