Columbiana County, Ohio - Chapter 10: County Buildings, 1879

Chapter 10: County Buildings

Columbiana County has provided good and substantial public buildings, a brief description of which is given in this chapter. The loss of a portion of the records makes it now impossible to procure a fuller history, in some cases.

Court-Houses

A special term of court was held at the public-house of Christian Smith, in New Lisbon, Sept. 9, 1803, when the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars was appropriated to Lewis Kinney " for building a log court-house and jail upon lot 100," in that place. This unpretentious structure stood upon ground occupied by the front part of the present court-house, its second successor. Such was the provision made for sheltering the courts of Columbiana until 181.1, between which time and 1817 a brick edifice, with central dome and tapering spire, was erected by William Harbaugh and Peter Spiker. The new building appears not to have been completed until the year last named, as an entry on the commissioners' record, Aug. 29, 1817, shows that John Ritz and others were paid ,l for examining the work done in the New Lisbon Court-House while another entry, Dec. 17, 1817, shows a payment of thirty-eight dollars to Peter Spiker "in full for finishing the New Lisbon Court- House." This building cost not far from the sum of four thousand seven hundred dollars, and remains in its original position on the county grounds, at the northwest corner of Market and Walnut Streets. Though now devoted to the uses of ordinary business, it is still the property of the county. The first bell was bought in May, 1815 ; cost three hundred and fifteen dollars and forty-eight cents, and was used nearly sixty years. The building was enlarged in 1823 by the addition of "public offices."* In April of that year the commissioners, Thomas Creighton, George Atterholt, and Reuben Taylor, caused a plan of the offices to be furnished, and let the contract for their erection. The lower portion of the main building is at present (1879) occupied as the printing-office of the newspaper Buckeye State.

Gen. Reasin Real], the first clerk and treasurer of Columbiana County, resided at what is now the southwest corner of Jefferson and Washington Streets, and transacted official business in an old log building then standing in the rear of his residence.

wealth no less than the growth of its demands upon the ministers of the law. This substantial building is of stone, and was erected in 1871, at a cost of more than one hundred and seven thousand dollars for building, furniture, and improvements. The tall dome is surmounted by a statue of Justice, with her suggestive symbols of authority and equity.

On the eleventh day of March, 1870, the board of commissioners - Samuel Burger, Andrew Armstrong, and Uriah Thomas - caused the following entry to be made upon their journal :

" Notice. - Notice is hereby given that the county commissioners of Columbiana County intend to build a new court-house in the village of New Lisbon in said county, the cost of which shall exceed the sum of one thousand dollars. The commissioners will hear petitions for and remonstrances against said proposed improvement at their office in said county."

On the twelfth day of March, 1870, the board took up the remonstrances on file against the building of the courthouse, and carefully considered them, together with all the objections urged against said proposed improvement, and after full consideration of the subject, determined that " the board are of opinion that it is necessary to build a new court-house in New Lisbon, and hereby resolve and determine to proceed forthwith to take the necessary steps to build the same, in the manner provided by law."

April 2, plans and specifications for the building were presented by II. E. Myer, architect, which were duly approved by the commissioners, and by John A. Myers, clerk, Thomas C. Morris, sheriff, and Solomon J. Firestone, probate judge.

On May 20, after due notice for sealed proposals for building the court-house, a contract was made with William C. Megown and Simon Harrold, the lowest bidders, who agreed to erect the same according to plans and specifications for the sum of $98,717, and entered into a bond in the penal sum of $75,000 with sureties for the faithful performance of their engagement. On the same day the commissioners awarded the contract for heaters for the new court-house to Peter Martin, who agreed to furnish the same for $6500. The bell was purchased Oct. 19, 1871, at a cost of $932.60, from A. Fulton, Son & Co. The tower clock was furnished by the Telegraph Supply and Manufacturing Company, of Cleveland, Feb. 8, 1873, upon a contract made by the commissioners with the Automatic Fire Alarm Company, of Leetonia, and cost $735.

The first floor of the building is occupied by the offices of the judge of probate, commissioners, auditor, treasurer, recorder, and surveyor ; the second floor, by the court-room, witness- and jury-rooms, and offices of the clerk of the courts, and sheriff.

prepared as a place of confinement. Juries in the room above, at the bidding of the court, literally sat over if not upon the unfortunate prisoners. The first prisoner, however, one Mackinrue, who had been arrested for stealing a horse from a man named Willetts, and examined before John Crozer, justice, taking unfair advantage of the slender bonds provided, drew aside the old blanket which alone separated him from liberty and vanished, much to the chagrin of the court and the discomfiture of justice.*

Better means for securing prisoners were subsequently used, as the record discloses that on the 12th of June, 1817, there was allowed Thomas Watts, sheriff, pay for " irons furnished by I. Shanke and Jacob Frankenburg for guarding the gaol."

At the March term of the court, 1804, David Davis was paid one hundred and five dollars for building a house for the sheriff or jailor to live in, to feed and keep the prisoners safe.

The following unique entries appear on the records: " Pay Jonathan Whitacre, sheriff, two hundred and sixtvthree dollars and fifty-two cents, for boarding prisoners, firewood, Guarding Gaol, Irons for prisoners, Summoning two Grand Juries, Candles and Stationery furnished the Courts. April 22, 1819." " Pay Jonathan Whitacre, sheriff, one hundred and nine dollars and ten cents, for boarding prisoners, paying and summoning Grand Juries, stationery, quills, blacksmith's bill, mason, Crying Courts, and firewood ; the bill fot firewood is to be considered till April term next. Dec. 9, 1819."

July 12, 1819, there was held a meeting of the commissioners, - John Crumbacher, lleuben P. McNamee, and Joseph Springer, - "on purpose of consulting of purchasing one lot of ground for a gaol and drawing a plan of a gaol house, and proceed drawing the plan and describing the same." The following day they proceeded, finishing the description of the gaol, and purchased of Matthias Springer lot number 119 in the town of New Lisbon, on the northeast corner of Chestnut and Beaver Streets, for the sum of two hundred dollars, "one hundred dollars payable on the 26th day of July, 1819, and one hundred dollars to be paid on the 1st day of January, 1820, next." The work of building the jail was let at auction July 26th, and was " openly struck off to John Beeson and Daniel llarbaugh, being the lowest bidders, for the sum of eighteen hundred and nineteen dollars, three hundred dollars to be paid at the time of entering into bonds for the performance, and three hundred dollars every three months' end."

In October the contractors were allowed fifty-three dollars " for extra work found necessary to be done to said gaol, of an alteration in the petitions of the entries between the entry and the Gaoler's parts above and below." Jan. 5, 1820, the work of the contractors was accepted. The finishing of the jail was struck off to David McCurdy, Jan. 4, 1820, for ten hundred and eighty-seven dollars,

* It is related that, about tho year 1814, one John Peck, for stealing a pair of steelyards, was sentenced by tho court to receive nine lashes upon bis naked back, be imprisoned three days, and pay a lino ot nine dollars; and further that the sheriff executed tho sentence of whipping with a raw-hide.

Tbe old "jail and kitchen" were sold at auction May 4, 1821, the former to Joseph Morris for fifty-five dollars and twenty-five cents, and the latter to Daniel Harbaugh for fifteen dollars and twenty-seven cents.

After about seventeen years the prison of 1819 - 20 became unfit for occupancy, and on the 6th day of December, 1837, the Board of Commissioners - John Smith, George Burns, and James Justice - took the following action concerning it: "The board having repaired to the prison of the county, to examine into the situation of the inmates who had been confined for insanity, found that the situation of the prison was such as to be deleterious to their health and adverse to their comforts ; the board, upon due consideration of the matter, order that Mrs. Wise, William Smoot, and Thomas McCoy be discharged from confinement in the jail, in order that they may be sent to the poor-house of the county."

On the 8th of March following, after due deliberation, the board determined " to build a new prison on the public square on the hill," and authorized the auditor to give notice for proposals accordingly. On April 5th, not being satisfied with the proposals received, they postponed their award until the 23d, when a contract for erecting the new prison was made with Morris Miller and Nathaniel McCracken, their bid of seven thousand eight hundred dollars being the lowest bid presented. A change in the plan of the walls was made on October 1st, and the structure completed and accepted Sept. 9, 1839. Alterations were made in the northeast room of this jail by David and John Strickler, under a contract dated Feb. 3, 1840, and cost two hundred and ninety-one dollars and forty-five cents.

This - the present - jail is of brick, and is situate on the south side of High Street, between Market and Beaver Streets, occupying a part of two lots of ground belonging to the county.

Poor-Iiouse

The first notice found in the commissioners' records concerning a poor-house is under date of Aug. 15, 1829, where it is stated that " The board proceeded to examine the old house on the land on which the poor-house is erecting, and order that it be repaired, and that certain other improvements be m ule on the land in relation to the well, etc. ; to wit, the board order that a new sill be put under the sleepers, that the corners of the house be cut down and new floors be laid above and below, that a partition be put up, a chimney of brick in the inside be built large with a hearth, that a closed flight of stairs be built, and four twelve-light windows be put in - two above and two below - and that the house be chincked and daubed with limemortar, and a door be made and cased for the outside. They order that the old well be dug deeper and walled, or a new one dug and walled."

October 3d the contract for the repairs named was made with Andrew Scott, who was to receive therefor the sum of ninety-two dollars. March 23, 1830, it was determined by the board that the "work of the poor-house and the old house near to it" was not according to contract.

In 1872 the poor-house was succeeded by an institution of wider scope, which possesses ample means for the care of the infirm and unfortunates, and is called the

The following receipt, dated Jan. 9, 1818, from the commissioners' records, illustrates the manner of making tax settlements with the State authorities :

Infirmary

The Infirmary farm is about three miles west from New Lisbon, on section 17. It contains three hundred and thirty-five acres of well-improved land, on which are a number of excellent buildings. The main building was erected, about 1872, of brick, is 45 by 100 feet in size, and is three stories high. It is intended for the general use of the infirm and well-disposed inmates. The hall for the insane is also of brick, and is three stories in height. There are on the farm several other large brick buildings painted red, and a fine frame barn painted white, whose contrast makes them conspicuous objects. About one hundred and fifty persons are cared for on the farm yearly.