Foxton Courthouse facts for kids
The Foxton Courthouse is a very old and important building in the town of Foxton, New Zealand. It has a long history and has been used for different purposes over the years.
A Place for Law
This brick building was built in 1929. Before that, there was an older wooden building from 1867. People thought the old building looked bad and called it "the eyesore of the main street." So, they decided to build a new one. Mr. T. W. Hunt from Foxton did the building work.
A local historian named Tony Hunt wrote that the court handled different kinds of legal problems until 1948. After that, some types of cases were heard in other places. The courthouse finally closed its doors in 1971.
Important Events
The courthouse was the place where an important meeting was held in 1929. This meeting looked into a sad event known as the Foxton Tragedy. This happened shortly after the new building opened.
Foxton Museum and History
After it stopped being a courthouse, the building became home to the Foxton Historical Society's museum. This museum holds many interesting items from Foxton's past.
In 2013, the Horowhenua District Council closed the building. They found it was at risk if there was an earthquake. The Foxton Historical Society wants to fix the building so it is safe from earthquakes. They plan to raise money to do this. Their goal is to reopen the building as a museum again. In early 2020, reports said the society was still working on plans to make this happen.
