Adair County was established in 1851, and named for John Adair, a general during the war, and the 6th governor of Kentucky.   Three commissioners were tasked with locating a county seat, so they selected Summerset (now Fontanelle) in 1865.  A year later, the first courthouse was built.
 

Greenfield, located near the center of the county, was laid out in 1856, and the people from here fought to have the county seat in their town.  Petitions were circulated to move the county seat, at the same time a petition was circulated to leave the county seat in Summerset.  After the Civil War, relocation was brought to a vote and on the third election, in 1874, voters approved the move to Greenfield, although it was challenged as far as to the Supreme Court.  Even though the decision was not final, 200 people of Greenfield moved the records and furniture to their town in 75 wagons, against the orders of the sheriff.

Judge Mitchell ordered the sheriff to direct Greenfield’s citizens to return the county records, but when he presented the order to the Board of Supervisors, someone grabbed the paper and tore it up.  The next day, the sheriff returned to Greenfield with a warrant, but was resisted by an angry mob, so he retreated.  The following day, General N.B.Baker arrived from Des Moines and persuaded the people to return the records to Summerset.  The county seat ‘war’ ended about a month later when the court decreed the county seat to be Greenfield.



A two story courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1883, after which court was held in the Opera House.  The cornerstone of the present courthouse was laid on July 4, 1891, with the building’s completion in March, 1892, at a total cost of $26,768 including furniture.  The large square tower that rose 100