Supreme Court holds local session Wednesday; judge examines courthouse history WATCH THE VIDEO
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
By BRANDY CHANDLER
The Highland County Press
When the nine justices of the Supreme Court of the state of Ohio take the bench on Oct. 19 in the Highland County Court of Common Pleas for a special off-site session, the cases heard will become another chapter in the history of a building that has served the people of Highland County for nearly 180 years.
Construction of the courthouse began in 1832 and was completed in 1834, and cost a total of $6,666.66. Several construction projects and additions have added to the size and upkeep of the courthouse over the years, including an addition that was completed in 1883, construction of the jail, which was completed in 1894, extensive renovations in 1978, and the current ongoing refurbishments to the structure¹s exterior columns and doors.
However, the Highland County Courthouse remains the oldest courthouse in continuous use in the state of Ohio.
The courthouse was rededicated on Nov. 5, 1978, and according to the ceremony's program outlining the building's history, the first court session in Hillsboro, "met Nov. 9, 1807 at the Joseph Knox Tavern, located on what is now the Parker Hotel site," on West Main Street.
Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss said that before the building's doors were even opened, the courthouse¹s construction became the subject of litigation that was not settled until a year after the construction was completed.
"There was a dispute about the building," Coss said. "The original contractor had died and had been completed by another contractor and it went to arbitration. The original cost to construct the building was $6,000, and after the arbitration it was agreed to pay the contractor, who was named Christopher Arthur, an additional $666.66."
The current building is actually the second courthouse in Highland County, Coss said. One was constructed on what is now the courthouse square in 1807, shortly after the county seat was moved to Hillsboro from New Market, but was eventually removed.
Coss said the 1834 structure originally consisted of "basically, the upstairs courtroom, the offices right behind it, and the downstairs ended at about where the probate/juvenile court is now."
According to the rededication program, "The ceiling of the building is secured by hand-hewn beams and other timbers, together with hand-worked materials to construct the ceiling dome and appurtenances. When the second floor was remove in 1978, four hand-hewn solid oak beams, 11 inches square and 45 feet long, support the upper floor, the beam nearest the front door being badly split - presumably from the weight of crowded spectators during the 1925 Boggs murder case when the beam on the first floor directly beneath the location was found broken and replaced Two of the beams were left by the contractor in the building as it presently stands."
"Some of those beams were salvaged," Coss said. "Judge (Darrell) Hottle
had a number of gavels made from those beams."
Coss said that one of those gavels was given to him as a gift when he became judge, and he keeps it in the judge's chambers.
By BRANDY CHANDLER
The Highland County Press
When the justices of the Supreme Court of the state of Ohio take the bench on Oct. 19 in the Highland County Court of Common Pleas for a special off-site session, the cases heard will become another chapter in the history of a building that has served the people of Highland County for nearly 180 years.
Construction of the courthouse began in 1832 and was completed in 1834, and cost a total of $6,666.66. Several construction projects and additions have added to the size and upkeep of the courthouse over the years, including an addition that was completed in 1883, construction of the jail, which was completed in 1894, extensive renovations in 1978, and the current ongoing refurbishments to the structure¹s exterior columns and doors.
However, the Highland County Courthouse remains the oldest courthouse in continuous use in the state of Ohio.
The courthouse was rededicated on Nov. 5, 1978, and according to the ceremony's program outlining the building's history, the first court session in Hillsboro, "met Nov. 9, 1807 at the Joseph Knox Tavern, located on what is now the Parker Hotel site," on West Main Street.
Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss said that before the building's doors were even opened, the courthouse¹s construction became the subject of litigation that was not settled until a year after the construction was completed.
"There was a dispute about the building," Coss said. "The original contractor had died and had been completed by another contractor and it went to arbitration. The original cost to construct the building was $6,000, and after the arbitration it was agreed to pay the contractor, who was named Christopher Arthur, an additional $666.66."
The current building is actually the second courthouse in Highland County, Coss said. One was constructed on what is now the courthouse square in 1807, shortly after the county seat was moved to Hillsboro from New Market, but was eventually removed.
Coss said the 1834 structure originally consisted of "basically, the upstairs courtroom, the offices right behind it, and the downstairs ended at about where the probate/juvenile court is now."
According to the rededication program, "The ceiling of the building is secured by hand-hewn beams and other timbers, together with hand-worked materials to construct the ceiling dome and appurtenances. When the second floor was remove in 1978, four hand-hewn solid oak beams, 11 inches square and 45 feet long, support the upper floor, the beam nearest the front door being badly split - presumably from the weight of crowded spectators during the 1925 Boggs murder case when the beam on the first floor directly beneath the location was found broken and replaced Two of the beams were left by the contractor in the building as it presently stands."
"Some of those beams were salvaged," Coss said. "Judge (Darrell) Hottle
had a number of gavels made from those beams."
Coss said that one of those gavels was given to him as a gift when he became judge, and he keeps it in the judge's chambers.
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