Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/398

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��HISTOKY OF KICHLAKD COUNTY.

��CHAPTER XXXIX.

THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

The Old Block Hot;ses as Couet Houses — The First Brick Court House — The Present Court House —

The Jails, Infirmary, Etc.

��THE court houses of Richland County have been four in number, and in improve- ment, in every possible way, they have kept pace with the improvement of the county. The old court houses have been torn down and others erected as fast as the increase in popula- tion and general improvement demanded, until the present magnificent structure was reared, which, it is thought, will last several genera- tions before the continually advancing ideas and progress of civilization will require one of greater dimensions and later style of archi- tecture. During the war of 1812, two block- houses were erected on the public square, as a protection against the Indians. One was of round logs and the other of hewed logs, the latter standing near the center of the north side of the park. After the war, or rather before the war ended, this hewed-log house was used for the first court house in the county. The preparation of this block-house for a court house is officially warranted and preserved in the Commissioners' records. Under date of July 10, 1813, it states that "the Commission- ers proceeded to examine the block-house in Mansfield, and to order the same to be pre- pared for the reception of the court, and that the lower part of the same be prepared for the reception of prisoners as a jail. And do further order that the said lot of carpenter work be sold to the lowest bidder, on the 24th day of Jul}' inst., which sale is advertised accord- ingly."

" Ordered, that the said work be done in the following manner, to wit. : Two floors of solid

��hewn timber, of the thickness of at least six inches, to be squared and jointed in a workman- like manner ; and on the outside, a stairway, with a platform at the head thereof of suitable size, and a door to enter the upper story there- from, with suitable casings and hinges for the same ; and a glass window, containing twelve lights of glass, cased in like manner as the door ; and suitable seats for the court ; and a latch for the upper door, and lock and chain for the lower door, and iron hinges for the same, all of which work and preparations must be done in a workmanlike manner."

On the 4th of August following, the bids were opened, and Mr. Luther Coe was the lucky man. His bid was $46, with an additional one for the construction of a hand-rail for the out- side stairway, for which he was to receive $2. On the 7th of September following, Mr. Coe having completed his contract, received his pa}- by an order on Winn Winship, the agent of James Hedges, for the amount of the consider- ation agreed upon, being $48, which is ordered to be paid out of a certain donation, which the said Hedges agreed to pa}- for the use of the public buildings in the town of Mansfield.

The first session of the court was held Satur- day, August 28, 1813. The Associate Judges were Thomas Coulter, William Cass and Peter Kenney. The further proceedings of this court are l"eferred to in another chapter.

This block-house seems to have answered the purposes of a court house for three years.

July 8, 1816, "the Commissioners proceeded to lay down the particulars of a plan for a new

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