01/03/2022
The History of the Huron County Courthouse
The current County Courthouse (image 3) was built in 1955, after a fire destroyed the original building (images 1 and 2)
In the early 1800s, to become its own entity separate from the London District, Huron County had to have its own Courthouse and Gaol (prn: Jail.) Originally, the “Courthouse” was on the third floor of the Huron Gaol, amongst the inmates, and the stench of outdoor latrines.
The County could finally afford to build the first Courthouse at 1 Courthouse Square, completed in 1856. It was built at a cost of £4,000, which would roughly $458,000 adjusted for inflation.
In the January 1954 session of County Council, it was decided to get rid of the Courthouse and build a new one. On February 26th, 1954 at approximately 8:14 PM, the fire was discovered by a groundskeeper. Within a few hours, the Courthouse was gone save for 4 offices in each corner of the Courthouse.
The County commissioned Architect L.G. Bridgeman of London to design the new Courthouse.
The Courthouse was modern for it’s time, and was officially opened on May 26th, 1956 by then Premier Leslie Frost.
~Sources~
Text: The Exeter Times-Advocate - October 28th, 1954. p.g. 5
From the Digitized Newspapers of the Huron County Museum
Photos: Images 1 & 2 from the Huron County Museum Collection, Image 3 is a stock image.
