Old Meigs County Courthouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old Meigs County Courthouse And Chester Academy
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Overview from the south
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | State Route 248, Chester, Ohio |
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| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Built | 1823 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001488 |
| Added to NRHP | June 30, 1975 |
The Old Meigs County Courthouse is a very old government building in Chester, Ohio, United States. It was built a long time ago, in the early 1800s. This building was used for many things in the community when it was new.
However, it was only a courthouse for less than 20 years. After that, a new courthouse was built in a different town. In the 1950s, the old courthouse was fixed up. Then, in the 1970s, it became a special historic place, along with a school next to it. Today, both buildings are a museum. This courthouse is the oldest building in Ohio that was built to be a courthouse.
Contents
History of Chester and the Courthouse
In 1819, the Ohio General Assembly (Ohio's law-making group) created Meigs County. At first, the courts met in a building in Salisbury Township. But in 1821, a fire destroyed that building.
The county leaders, called county commissioners, quickly accepted an offer. A person from Chester Township said they could use his house for meetings. Soon, this homeowner decided to plan a new town called "Chester."
In 1822, Chester was chosen as the county seat (the main town for county government). A courthouse and a jail were built there. Chester grew quickly in the 1820s. Farmers and other workers moved there. The Shade River was busy with boats carrying goods to places like New Orleans.
But things changed in the 1830s. Steamboats started stopping at Pomeroy to pick up coal from nearby mines. Also, in 1834, many people in Chester got sick from a disease called cholera.
Because of these changes, the county government moved to Pomeroy in 1841. The old courthouse in Chester was no longer used for court, and Chester became much quieter.
Building the Courthouse
In late September 1822, the county commissioners met at the friendly Chester Township resident's home. They decided to build a jail and a jailer's house out of logs. They also started planning for a permanent courthouse.
Just two weeks later, they voted to build a two-story brick building. It would be 36 feet long and 38 feet wide, and 16 feet tall. It would have seven windows. Later that month, they decided to make it a bit taller, 18 feet high. They also chose to add a small tower, called a cupola, on top.
By December of the next year, 1823, the building was finished. Fourteen workers were paid a total of $1,255.20 to build it.
The finished courthouse is made of brick and has a stone base. It was built in the Federal style, which was popular back then. By the 1970s, its original roof had been replaced with metal. The bricks used were made right there in the area. They were about 4 inches by 8 inches, a common size at the time.
The Chester Academy School
Chester's first school opened in 1830. A Scottish scholar named Samuel Halliday helped a lot with this. He moved to Chester Township and began teaching local children.
The school building you see today is three stories tall. It was built in 1839. The idea was for students from all over Meigs County to come and learn there. In its early years, this brick school building was used for many community events.
For example, the town leaders rented it for voting. Social groups, like debate clubs and singing classes, met there. There were no church buildings in the township, so all the churches used the school for their worship services. The building was used as a school until the Civil War. After the war, the school closed. The building was then used to store things for the courthouse next door.
What Happened Later
The courthouse in Chester was used as the county courthouse until Pomeroy became the new county seat. Later, it became a meeting place for a local group called the Grange.
By 1951, the building was empty and not used. But two years later, in 1953, a group called the Meigs County Pioneer and Historical Society decided to fix it up.
In 1975, the courthouse and the school were both added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historic places. They were chosen because of their unique building style and their role in Ohio's history. Today, the Chester-Shade Historical Association runs both buildings as a museum.
The Old Meigs County Courthouse is the oldest building in Ohio that was built to be a courthouse. It is also one of only two original Federal-style courthouses left in the state. The other one is the Old Perry County Courthouse in Somerset.
