In 1819, the Perry County seat was moved to centrally located Rome, then a prominent river port, and this two-story brick building, echoing the design of the first Indiana Capitol building at Corydon, was built in the town's central square to house the county courthouse. By 1859 Perry County's boundaries had changed and the county seat was moved to Cannelton. The building later housed a variety of churches, a private school, and the public school until 1966, and as of 2004 it was serving as the Rome Community Center.