Sandusky County Courthouse

Last updated
Front of the courthouse Sandusky County Ohio Courthouse.JPG
Front of the courthouse

The Sandusky County Courthouse is a local government building in Fremont, Ohio, United States. Built in the 1840s and since greatly modified, it remains in use by the government of Sandusky County.

Construction on the Sandusky County Courthouse began in 1840 and concluded four years later. Built according to a design by architect Cyrus Williams, it includes a dungeon-style underground jail with ashlar walls built of large blocks of locally quarried limestone. [1] Built primarily of stone and brick, the courthouse possesses a Greek Revival facade composed of Doric columns. [2] Its original appearance has been drastically altered; when built, the portico comprised six wooden columns, rather than the eighteen sandstone ones now present, and an octagonal cupola with a round copper dome was present atop the building. As the county government's needs increased, local leaders applied in the 1930s for federal aid to expand their facility. With money from the Works Progress Administration, the courthouse was greatly expanded, leaving the original building as the northern wing of a three-part courthouse. This project resulted in the replacement of the original columns and the relocation of the cupola to one of the new wings, as well as the construction of new additions. [1] Despite the gap of nearly a century between the construction of the original and additional portions of the buildings, the newer portions complement the original section, [2] and the courthouse remains a significant component of the city's historic downtown, which also includes the site of a nearby fort that was constructed along the Sandusky River for the War of 1812. [1]

The courthouse remains in use by the Sandusky County courts, [2] as well as by local government archives. Among the records housed at the Sandusky County Courthouse is a petition filed in 1849 by local attorney Rutherford B. Hayes to change the city's name to Fremont from "Lower Sandusky", a name that was seen as too generic for the convenience of its residents. [1]

Related Research Articles

Sandusky County, Ohio County in Ohio, United States

Sandusky County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is southeast of the Toledo Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,896. Its county seat is Fremont. The county was formed on February 12, 1820, from portions of Huron County. The name is derived from the Wyandot word meaning "water". The Sandusky River runs diagonally northeast through the county to its mouth on Sandusky Bay. The bay opens into Lake Erie.

Sandusky River

The Sandusky River is a tributary to Lake Erie in north-central Ohio in the United States. It is about 133 miles (214 km) long and flows into Lake Erie at the southwest side of Sandusky Bay.

Butler County Courthouse (Ohio) Local government building in the United States

The Butler County Courthouse is located in Hamilton, Ohio and was constructed from 1885–1889 by architect David W. Gibbs. The courthouse is a registered historic building listed in the National Register on June 22, 1981.

Hawkins County Courthouse United States historic place

The Hawkins County Courthouse is the seat of county government for Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States, located in the city of Rogersville. It was built in 1836, it is one of six antebellum courthouses still in use in Tennessee, and it is the second oldest courthouse still in use in the state.

Geauga County Courthouse Local government building in the United States

The Geauga County Courthouse is located at 100 Short Court Street in Chardon, Ohio. The courthouse was listed on the National Register in 1974 as part of the Chardon Courthouse Square District.

Webster County Courthouse (Iowa) United States historic place

The Webster County Courthouse is a historic building in Fort Dodge, Iowa, United States. Built in 1902, it primarily houses local government offices for Webster County. The courthouse is the second building the county has used for court functions and county administration. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, and as a contributing property in the Fort Dodge Downtown Historic District in 2010.

Crawford County Courthouse (Ohio) Local government building in the United States

The Courthouse of Crawford County, Ohio, is a landmark of the county seat, Bucyrus, Ohio. The courthouse was built in 1854 on East Mansfield Street by architect Harlan Jones and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on 1985-02-28 as a part of the Bucyrus Commercial Historic District.

James M. Ashley and Thomas W.L. Ashley United States Courthouse United States historic place

The James M. Ashley and Thomas W.L. Ashley United States Courthouse, formerly the United States Courthouse, Toledo, Ohio, is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio built in Toledo, Ohio, in 1932. It is named for two former Congressmen, Republican James M. Ashley, and his great grandson, Democrat Thomas W. L. Ashley.

Clermont County Courthouse Local government building in the United States

The Clermont County Courthouse is located at 270 East Main Street in Batavia, Ohio. It was built by the Works Progress Administration and opened in 1936.

Fremont Speedway, also known as "The Track That Action Built" and "Home of the All Stars", is a semi-banked 1/3 mile clay oval speedway located at the Sandusky County Fairgrounds in Fremont, Ohio, United States. Races are typically held on Saturday nights. Regular events include 410 cubic inch sprint cars, 305 cubic inch sprint cars, and dirt trucks. The speedway also is hosting the American Late Model Series, and new for the 2012 season, is a Run What You Brung. The speedway has previously hosted the National Sprint Tour, and United States Auto Club, and World of Outlaws.

Two Mile Square Reservation

The Two Mile Square Reservation or Two Mile Square Reserve was a tract of land in Ohio ceded by Native Americans to the United States of America in the Treaty of Greenville in 1795. It was subsequently surveyed in a manner different from surrounding land, and lots sold to settlers.

Sandusky County Jail and Sheriffs House United States historic place

The Sandusky County Jail and Sheriff's House is a historic government building near downtown Fremont, Ohio, United States. Built in the early 1890s, it was used as an incarceration facility for almost a century before closing and being converted into an office building.

Holmes County Courthouse (Ohio) Local government building in the United States

The Holmes County Courthouse is a historic government building in Millersburg, Ohio, United States. Built in the late nineteenth century, it has been designated a historic site because of its architectural importance.

Meigs County Courthouse (Ohio) Local government building in the United States

The Meigs County Courthouse is a local government building in Pomeroy, Ohio, United States. Built in the 1840s in this Ohio River village, it serves as the seat of government for Meigs County, and it is one of Ohio's oldest courthouses still used for its original purpose.

Morrow County Courthouse (Ohio) Local government building in the United States

The Morrow County Courthouse is a historic government building in the village of Mount Gilead, Ohio, United States. Constructed in the middle of the nineteenth century, it has served as the county courthouse since Morrow County's earliest years, and it has been named a historic site.

Williamson County Courthouse (Illinois) Local government building in the United States

The Williamson County Courthouse is a government building in Marion, the county seat of Williamson County, Illinois, United States. Built in 1971, it is the fourth courthouse in Marion's history.

Whiteside County Courthouse Local government building in the United States

The Whiteside County Courthouse is a government building in Morrison, the county seat of Whiteside County, Illinois, United States. Completed in 1987 to replace a 19th-century predecessor, it is the fourth courthouse, in the third community, to serve Whiteside County officials since the county's formation.

Henderson County Courthouse (Illinois) Local government building in the United States

The Henderson County Courthouse is a government building in Oquawka, the county seat of Henderson County, Illinois, United States. Built in 1842 and later expanded, it remains in use as the county's courthouse, despite repeated attempts by other towns to obtain the status of county seat.

St. Clair County Courthouse (Illinois) Local government building in the United States

The St. Clair County Courthouse is a government building in Belleville, the county seat of St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. Built in 1976, it is the fifth courthouse in the history of the county, and one of two that still stands.

Franklin County Courthouse (1887–1974) Former courthouse of Franklin County, Ohio

The 1887 Franklin County Courthouse was the second permanent courthouse of Franklin County, Ohio. The building, located in the county seat of Columbus, stood from 1887 to 1974. The site was replaced with Dorrian Commons Park, open from 1976 to 2018; the courthouse moved to a new building nearby. The site is now planned to once again hold the county's courthouse.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Thrane, Susan W. County Courthouses of Ohio. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 2000, 23-24.
  2. 1 2 3 Sandusky County Courthouse, Supreme Court of Ohio, n.d. Accessed 2012-11-23.

Coordinates: 41°20′49″N83°7′3″W / 41.34694°N 83.11750°W / 41.34694; -83.11750