Symbols of history can be found throughout the Miami County Courthouse. Artwork representing people and things from the past seem to be everywhere in the building. Some of the best artwork, however, can be seen from outside the building. Statues on the roof of the building are not just decorative; they are symbols that represent life in Miami County: justice in the county court, agriculture, education, industry and transportation. They have sometimes been referred to as “seven allegorical figures.”
When the courthouse was built (1885-1888), it was a common practice to include symbols and monuments in courthouses. In fact, some sources say that people back then “expected” a courthouse have symbolic artwork to tell the story of their geographic area.
Joseph W. Yost of Columbus was the architect for the courthouse. Yost also designed courthouses in Belmont, Guernsey and Harrison counties, the Edwards School in Troy and the Ft. Piqua Hotel in Piqua. T. B. Townsend of Zanesville, Ohio was the courthouse contractor.
The statues were made by the W.H. Mullins Company of Salem, Ohio. William Harold Mullins, the company founder, is remembered as an “iron monger” (an individual known for his skill working with iron) and being a fishing partner with American business leaders Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone.
Several pieces created at the Mullins Company are nationally known. Two of their best-known pieces are 18 foot weathervane of the “Diana” (a goddess of the hunt) that for a time stood on top the old Madison Square Garden building in New York and “Hermann”, a 32-foot Viking-looking statue in Ulm, Minnesota. The company stopped making statues in 1928; it continued with other products.
Seven statues made by the Mullins Company “watch over” Troy from the courthouse roof. Six are female and one male. They are made of copper sheets hammered onto molds. The process for their creation is known as “repousse.” Their details are remarkable, particularly the hairstyles of the women and the male statue’s moustache. Unfortunately, the details cannot be seen and appreciated from street-level viewing. When they were completed at the Mullins factory, a group photo of them was taken with company employees by their sides. They were made in the early years of Mullins’ career.
The statue on the courthouse dome is “Lady Justice” (also known as Justica, the goddess of Justice, and Lady Liberty). She is 11 feet high and weighs about 250 pounds. She was the first statue that was put on the courthouse exterior. She was placed on the dome in June 1887.
She wears a blindfold to represent equal justice for all. She was originally made without the blindfold. The blindfold was added after she arrived in Troy. In fact, the Mullins factory photo shows her without the blindfold. She carries a sword of truth and scales that are balanced. She represents fairness for all under the law.
On March 22, 1918, William Jackson, son of Miami County Commissioner Charles Jackson, scaled to the top of the Miami County Courthouse dome and attached an American flag to Lady Justice. Jackson’s feat, however, may have been the second time a flag had been placed on the statue. An old local story tells of such a climb in the late 1800s, although very little is known about the first ascent. At that time, it is believed that a member (or members) of one family scaled to the top and placed a flag on Lady Justice. Members of a rival family then shot the flag down with a gun. Bullet holes were found in the Lady Justice statue when she underwent restoration in 1996.
A 1967 photo shows Lady Justice without her scales, sword, and hand. It is believed high winds might have blown those parts from her.
She stands facing the front of the courthouse along West Main Street. This places her with her back side towards Piqua. While some have felt offended because her back is to Piqua, others say that no offense is meant; she just overlooks the front of the building. The direction she stands has been a source of controversy down through the years.
More symbolic statues stand below Lady Justice on the four sides of the courthouse.
Facing Main Street on the south side of the courthouse, there are three statues representing education. They symbolize the influence of Greece and Rome on education. The tallest statue holds books over her head. She wears a crown with the word “Lex”, which means books. The only male statue is with this education group. He is believed to be a Trojan. He holds lion, which is a symbol for education. A sitting female statue is beside him.
A statue representing transportation faces east toward the Miami County Safety Building. This statue holds a train locomotive model in her hand. There is an interesting story about the locomotive model. In 1947, a windstorm blew it from the hand of the transportation statue. It was found and repaired by former Miami County Courthouse maintenance man Homer Collins. Collins wanted the locomotive returned to the statue, but the Miami County Commissioners were not interested in having it put back in place. Collins, therefore, kept the model at his home. After he passed away, his daughter Nancy Mikels donated it to the Troy Historical Society in 1986. In 1987, it was displayed at the Troy Strawberry Festival. In the mid-1990s, it was loaned to the Museum of Troy History for an exhibit. It was re-attached to the statue during a statue restoration project in 1996-1997. It was missing from the transportation sculpture for 48 years.
A statue on the north side of the building, facing West Water Street, represents industry. The sculpture holds a wrench and is working at a lathe. People have sometimes mistakenly thought that the statue depicted someone working at a sewing machine instead of a lathe. The lathe does look similar to a sewing machine.
The statue overlooking Short Street and the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center represents agriculture. She carries wheat and holds a sickle.
By the 1990s, the sculptures were badly damaged. During 1996-1997 the courthouse underwent a dome restoration project. As part of the project, the statues were removed from the courthouse in August 1996 and shipped to the Vulcan Supply Corporation in Westford, Vermont for repair. There a crew led by Mr. Larry Stearns repaired them. The statues were in Vermont for nearly a year.
They were returned to Miami County in the summer of 1997. Miami County Commissioners decided to allow the public to view them close up before they were returned to the top of the courthouse. They were placed on display for public viewing at the Youth Activities Building at the Miami County Fairgrounds from June 27 to July 1, 1997. They were exhibited on elevated platforms with railings so visitors could see them from all sides. It was reported that 5,000 people viewed the exhibit at the fairgrounds. People said that it was a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to see them up close.
These 19th century statues continue to bring beauty to Troy. Though times have changed, what the statues represented about Miami County back then, they still stand for today: justice for all in the court system, agriculture, education, industry and transportation.
For further information about the statues, visit the Troy-Miami County Public Library Local History or contact The Troy Historical Society at (937) 339-5900 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Agriculture statue facing Short Street
Education statue facing Main Street
"Lady Justice" adorns the top of the Courthouse
Transportation statue facing east
Industry statue facing Water Street
