66 - WOOD COUNTY, OHIO CHAPTER XIII. COUNTY BUILDINGS-FIRST COURT HOUSE AND JAIL AT PERRYSBURG-SECOND COURT HOUSE AT PERRYSBURG-THIRD COURT HOUSE, ERECTED AT BOWLING GREEN-THE PRESENT COURT HOUSE AT BOWLING GREEN-JAILS-INFIRMARY. I N the chapters devoted to the Transactions of the Commissioners and the Common Pleas Court, the question of county buildings is incidentally noticed. It is an important subject, for, from 1820 to Centennial Year, the ambitions of three or more towns kept the county in a condition of turmoil, of which, happily, there are but few examples this side of Kansas. The first move was from ancient Maumee to the precocious town of Orleans of the North, and thence, by force of circumstances, to Perrysburg. At the first meeting in Perrysburg, March 3, 1823, H. P. Barlow, Samuel Spafford and John Pray composed the board. Their first official act was to award a contract to Daniel Hubbell and Guy Nearing for a court house to cost $895. In the same month, at a special session, they allowed Daniel Hubbell $48 for moving the log jail over from Maumee, and ordered the auditor to expend a sum not to exceed $25 more in repairs on the building. At the same meeting the board made an order for the auditor to advertise and sell 105 lots to pay for the court house. After lots enough to pay for the court house were sold, buyers had the privilege of exchanging county orders for lots if they so desired. The minimum price of lots was $2o each, one-fourth to be paid at time of purchase, the residue in six-months' installments. For some cause the county commissioners did not follow the recommendation of the State commission in locating their court house and jail on Lot 387 as the best site; probably that lot had been sold before the county made its selection. The buildings were put on Front street, just west of where that street corners with Louisiana avenue. The trees and brush had to be cut off to make room, even for the teams to haul material on the lots. Most of the lumber came from Learning's sawmill at Monclova; the shingles were split out of whiteoak trees. First, the tree was sawed in sections, split into bolts, and these were split into thin slats or boards with a tool called a "fro," smoothed up with a drawing-knife on a " shingle-horse," and nailed on the roof; they were called " lap shingles." Few carpenters now, if called upon, would know how to make an oak shingle, or properly put it on a roof after it was made. The brick for the chimneys were made at Hubbell's, at Miami. The second court house at Perrysburg was a Roman-Doric structure, built in the basilica style, under authority of the Act of the commissioners, recorded in 1837. The building, as then designed, was to be 50 x 70 feet, and thirty feet in height above the foundation. The specification provided that " the foundation be stone, and the roof be similar to that of the Universalist church building, with the' cupaloe' on the end of the house. The lower story be divided on one side into four rooms of equal size, and these be fire-proof, and two rooms on the other side of the hall be twelve feet wide, and at the end of the hall, the upper story, or court room, to be made to the draft, the front of the building is to have a projection of five feet to extend over the columns. There are to be four of these columns in front." In March following, the sum of $10, 000 of the surplus revenue was appropriated for building purposes; on April 17, Jairus Curtis and Loomis Brigham signed the building contract. When this brick building was completed in 1843, it was found to have cost the county $20,000. Subjected to repairs periodically, and used down to April, 1870, it was burned in 1873, and the city hall of Perrysburg erected on its site. The third court house was erected at Bowling Green by the people, in accordance with promises made prior to the removal of the county seat. It was used down to 1894, when the records were moved to the city hall, which was used for courthouse purposes until the new building was completed in 1896. In 1894, on the occasion of placing the corner stone of the present court house, Benjamin F. James made the following reference to the old house which was torn down in December, 1893 WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 67 "Six and twenty years ago, Wood county experienced slightly similar strife and dissension within; for seven years the war waged, and the contestants, each striving for supremacy over this temple of justice, watched one another as fiercely as the Caledonians watched Agricola during those seven years of the Roman Conquest in Britain. All honor to our Caledonian neighbors of the North, and their valor for seeking to save what they deemed theirs by right of discovery; then it was, however, that this vicinity appreciated the sterling strength, the unselfish loyalty, the sublime sacrifices of Norton Reed, A. J. Manville, S. L. Boughton, John H. Reed, A. A. Thurstin, Joseph Hollington, and, later, Earl W. Merry, the Mercers, the Rogers, C. W. Evers, Judge Phelps, John W. Canary, the McMahans, Mr. Lehmann, and an hundred others. July 4, 1868, was only a day, and a day seems of small moment in the history of any county; but the events of a day ofttimes ' change the current of a nation's life blood, strip an empire of supremacy, and clothe the weakest kingdom with wonderful power.' " The corner stone of the new court house was placed July 4, 1894, with great ceremony, by Commander J. C. Whitaker, of the Patriarchs Militant, I. O. O. F. On this stone is the inscription: Erected A. D. 1894. Samuel Knight, James Gibson, Chris. C. Gundy, Com. John B. Wilson, auditor. Within it was placed a copper box, containing remains of the contents of the corner stone of the old court house, built in 1868, and dismantled December 21, 1893, with copies of Bowling Green Daily and Weekly Sentinel, Tribune, * Democrat; North Baltimore Beacon, Times, Perrysburg Journal; Bloomdale Derrick; Weston Herald; Pemberville Leader; Bradner News; Grand Rapids Triumph; Toledo Commercial, Blade; picture of Gen. H. Gibson, orator of the day; copy of law granting commissioners power to build new court house; names of the judiciary and bar of Wood county, from its organization to the present; copper plate containing names of all present county officers; copper plate containing names of all officers of Bowling Green; copper plate containing names of all business men of Bowling Green; copper plate containing names of C. T. Campbell, Grand Sire of Sov. Grand Lodge I. O. O. F.; Gen. J. C. Whitaker, Commanding Dept. O. P. M., I. O. O. F.; Grover Cleveland, President of the United States; and Wm. McKinley, Governor of Ohio. Addresses were delivered by A. B. Murphy, prosecuting attorneys Benjamin F. James, representative in the Legislature, and the late W. H. Gibson. The following description of the building is in part taken from an article prepared by Frank A. Baldwin, of Bowling Green. The building, which is entirely of stone, is located on the site of the old court house, and has a frontage of 150 feet on each of Court, Prospect and Summit streets. "The style of architecture is the modernized Romanesque, and it has been faithfully carried out in every detail, making a structure pleasing to the eye, substantial in appearance and convenient in arrangement. '' The massive walls throughout the entire building rest upon the solid rock, giving assurance of the greatest permanence and stability. The tower, square in front, rises to a height of 185 feet, and within it, near the top, is placed the clock, having four dials facing the points of the compass, and a 2,000-pound bell for striking the hours. From the higher openings is afforded a magnificent view of the surrounding country for many miles. The sub-basement extending under the entire area of the building is subdivided into several rooms. In it is placed the boilers, engine and machinery for supplying heat, light and power, and affords ample space for fuel and general storage. ''The main entrance, with its beautifully carved, massive archway, is unique in design and charming in appearance. The outside stairway, common to buildings generally, is entirely dispensed with, entry being made to the basement or ground floor through a well lighted and richly ornamented vestibule. At the northwest corner on this floor is located the assembly room. It contains 128 opera chairs, speakers' tables, etc., with a committee room opening from the east side. * * * At the northeast corner is located the teachers' examination room. It is well lighted and ventilated, and has individual desks and seats for 66 persons. The offices of the coroner and surveyor are located at either end of the corridor, and the board of elections will occupy a commodious room with openings to the main vestibule and corridor. Well appointed toilet rooms are provided directly opposite the main entrance, the ladies' room being on the right and the gentlemen's on the left, and in the rear of the main staircase. "The grand stairway, with its polished marble steps and electro-bronzed railings, ascends from the middle of the basement corridor to the main floor. Opposite the landing is the drinking fountain, an elaborately carved piece of marble, which is highly ornamental as well as useful. The metal railing surrounding the 68 - WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. stairway opening is surmounted with Athenian marble columns, rising singly and in groups to the ceiling above. * * * "From the stair landing, turning to the right and making a circuit of the corridor, we pass in their order the offices of the commissioners, recorder, probate judge, prosecuting attorney, treasurer and auditor. Broad stairways ascend from each end of this corridor to the upper floor: The view presented from this point is one of entrancing beauty. The vaulted ceiling, with its broad panels of colored glass, admits a soft and mellow light to blend with the varied tints of fresco which adorn the walls. "Upon the eastern wall is presented a picture of Wood county's most noted and historic ground-Fort Meigs. * * * On the opposite wall is a painting from a sketch drawn near the Toledo & Ohio Central railway depot at Portage, looking south. * * * "The common pleas court room occupies the east end of this floor. - It is also finished with high vaulted ceilings, paneled, with art glass of rich design. The room is not as large as the old one, but it is ample for all ordinary occasions. It contains 142 opera chairs of spacious and comfortable design. Its acoustic properties are perfect, and all the surroundings and appointments are of a nature calculated to awaken the kindlier instincts of nature, and smooth the troubled waters of litigation. The petit jury is provided with easy revolving chairs placed on a portable rostrum, and has a large cheerful room on the south side in which to deliberate on its verdict. * * * -On the opposite side of the corridor is the grand jury room. It is liberal in dimensions, well furnished, convenient to the court room, and the usual grist of indictments will there be ground out with neatness if not with dispatch. The judge's private room occupies the southeast corner of this floor, and the west end is devoted to the offices of the clerk and sheriff. On the north side are witness rooms for separate use of men and women, with toilet rooms adjacent to each. A library and a consultation room on the south side complete the subdivisions of this floor. * * All the principal offices are in suites of three rooms each, with ample space for records, and supplied with all the modern conveniences for the transaction of business. All the principal corridors and the outer portion of the offices have floors of vitrified tiling laid in ornamental designs, and the corridors are wainscoted to a height of six feet with Italian marble. " The net cost of the building was $222,895.94 total cost of completed building, fully furnished with grounds improved, $255,746.84. At this writing (September 1, 1896) the building is practically ready for occupancy, although not fully completed. Jails. The original jail building was moved from Maumee to Perrysburg in March, 1823, and its reconstruction completed March 19 of that year, the total cost of moving and rebuilding being $48, paid to Daniel Hubbell, and $2 5 for repairs. This jail was in use down to June, 1828, when Elisha Martindale, the contractor for a new building, offered it to the commissioners. In 1832, a stockade was constructed. In February, 1835, the question of erecting around the jail of 1828, was considered but that for building a new court house was substituted and adopted. The jail question was revived in 1846; in June of that year, Inlot No. 210 was purchased as a site; on July 7, the building contract was awarded to John W. Woodbury, S. N. Beach, Henry Thornton, Daniel Lindsay and O. H. Carpenter; but the house was not completed until the close of 1848. That building may be said to have been used down to 1870, when the seat of justice was removed to Bowling Green. On March 3, 1868, a tax of $5,000 was ordered to be levied; but this order was rescinded two days later. In March, 1869, the order to erect a jail at Bowling Green was entered, and, on May 6, the bid of $9,000 made by S. L. Boughton and A. A. Thurstin, was accepted, the condition being that the contractors could use the stone, iron and other material of the old jail at Perrysburg, in the new building. Infirmary. The initial movement for providing a home for the poor of this county was made in June, 1827, as related in the chapter on Transactions of the Commissioners. Not until 1865, however, was the question presented in practical shape. In April of that year a vote was taken on an appropriation for the purpose of purchasing a farm and erecting buildings; but not. until March 3, 1868, were the first directors appointed, namely-John Yeager, R. W. Kelly and Henry Lundy. In June of that year, they awarded the building contract to A. K. Vail & Co., on a bid of $4,900, the house to be built on the old Adam Phillips farm, of which the county obtained title. The directors and officers of the Infirmary are named in the list of officials, given in the political chapter. RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE