Wood County Courthouse and Jail
Encyclopedia
The Wood County Courthouse and Jail, located in Bowling Green, Ohio
, USA, is Wood County
's third courthouse. It was built after citizens decided to move the county seat
from Perrysburg
to Bowling Green. Ground was broken on November 28, 1893, and the cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1894. The architectural firm of Yost & Packard of Columbus
designed the courthouse and construction was overseen by T.B. Townsend
of Youngstown
. The winning tender for the project was $153,803 and the final construction costs totaled $255,746.
The County Commissioners took possession of the new building on August 31, 1896, and the new Common Pleas Courtroom was dedicated on September 7, 1896.
from Amherst, Ohio
, granite
from Vermont, and marble
from Italy were used in the construction of the courthouse. Architecturally, it is H.H. Richardson Romanesque
in design with architectural sculpting throughout the building done by Whyte and Priest of Dayton, Ohio
. Ornate stained glass
panels cover much of the ceiling on the third floor and are visible from ground level due to the large open staircase which ascends through the middle of the second floor. The staircase consists of polished marble steps with brass railings.
The clock tower
rises to a height of 195 feet (59.4 m). At the time of its construction, the clock hands were the second largest in America spanning 16 feet (4.9 m) in diameter. They were only exceeded by the hands on the clock of the Chronicle newspaper building in San Francisco which were 16.5 feet (5 m) in diameter. The clock was made by the E. Howard Watch and Clock Co. at a cost of $3000. The clock tower bells weigh 2000 lb (907.2 kg).
Mural
s decorate the east and west walls of the third floor. The murals were painted by I. M. Taylor (mayor of Bowling Green from 1911–1920). The east wall depicts Fort Meigs
, a vital outpost in the war of 1812 and the west wall depicts a train passing through oil derrick
s in southern Wood County, a major producer of oil in the late 19th century.
A major restoration of the interior of the courthouse was undertaken in 1980, and a restoration of the exterior of the building was completed in 2002.
courtrooms and accompanying judicial offices located on the third floor as well as a jury assembly room, holding cell and conference rooms. A probate
courtroom and judicial offices are located on the second floor, as is the Clerk of Courts Office. The first floor houses court security, court administration and a domestic relations courtroom with magistrate
s' offices and conference rooms. A five story office building adjoining the courthouse contains a third common pleas courtroom and judicial offices as well as other county offices including the auditor, treasurer, engineer, commissioners, prosecutor
, adult probation, building inspection and board of elections. A glass-enclosed atrium joining the courthouse and office building was completed in 2004. At that time existing entrances and exits to both buildings were closed and the atrium became the only public entrance to either building. It is staffed by court security who monitor people entering the buildings.
, firm of Fronizer and Andrews constructed the sandstone building to closely match the architecture of the Courthouse. It served as a jail until 1990 and has since been renovated and now houses the Wood County Record Center and Law Library.
Bowling Green, Ohio
Bowling Green is the county seat of Wood County in the U.S. state of Ohio. At the time of the 2010 census, the population of Bowling Green was 30,028. It is part of the Toledo, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bowling Green is the home of Bowling Green State University...
, USA, is Wood County
Wood County, Ohio
Wood County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 125,488. Its county seat is Bowling Green. The county was named for Captain Eleazer D. Wood, the engineer for General William Henry Harrison's army, who built Fort Meigs in the War of 1812...
's third courthouse. It was built after citizens decided to move the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
from Perrysburg
Perrysburg, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,945 people, 6,592 households, and 4,561 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,899.2 people per square mile . There were 6,964 housing units at an average density of 780.5 per square mile...
to Bowling Green. Ground was broken on November 28, 1893, and the cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1894. The architectural firm of Yost & Packard of Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
designed the courthouse and construction was overseen by T.B. Townsend
T.B. Townsend
T.B. Townsend was a farmer and building company owner. He had one of "the most extensive and well-improved farms in" Marion County, Ohio at the start of the 20th Century, the Rockland Farm. He was also president of T. B...
of Youngstown
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
. The winning tender for the project was $153,803 and the final construction costs totaled $255,746.
The County Commissioners took possession of the new building on August 31, 1896, and the new Common Pleas Courtroom was dedicated on September 7, 1896.
Construction
SandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
from Amherst, Ohio
Amherst, Ohio
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,797 people, 4,459 households, and 3,388 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,646.1 people per square mile . There were 4,603 housing units at an average density of 642.3 per square mile...
, granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
from Vermont, and marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
from Italy were used in the construction of the courthouse. Architecturally, it is H.H. Richardson Romanesque
Romanesque
Romanesque may refer to:*Romanesque art, the art of Western Europe from approximately AD 1000 to the 13th century or later*Romanesque architecture, architecture of Europe which emerged in the late 10th century and lasted to the 13th century...
in design with architectural sculpting throughout the building done by Whyte and Priest of Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. Ornate stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
panels cover much of the ceiling on the third floor and are visible from ground level due to the large open staircase which ascends through the middle of the second floor. The staircase consists of polished marble steps with brass railings.
The clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
rises to a height of 195 feet (59.4 m). At the time of its construction, the clock hands were the second largest in America spanning 16 feet (4.9 m) in diameter. They were only exceeded by the hands on the clock of the Chronicle newspaper building in San Francisco which were 16.5 feet (5 m) in diameter. The clock was made by the E. Howard Watch and Clock Co. at a cost of $3000. The clock tower bells weigh 2000 lb (907.2 kg).
Mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s decorate the east and west walls of the third floor. The murals were painted by I. M. Taylor (mayor of Bowling Green from 1911–1920). The east wall depicts Fort Meigs
Fort Meigs
Fort Meigs was a fortification along the Maumee River in Ohio during the War of 1812. It is named in honor of Ohio governor Return J. Meigs, Jr., for his support in providing General William Henry Harrison with militia and supplies for the line of forts along the Old Northwest...
, a vital outpost in the war of 1812 and the west wall depicts a train passing through oil derrick
Derrick
A derrick is a lifting device composed of one tower, or guyed mast such as a pole which is hinged freely at the bottom. It is controlled by lines powered by some means such as man-hauling or motors, so that the pole can move in all four directions. A line runs up it and over its top with a hook on...
s in southern Wood County, a major producer of oil in the late 19th century.
A major restoration of the interior of the courthouse was undertaken in 1980, and a restoration of the exterior of the building was completed in 2002.
Current use
There are two common pleasOhio Courts of Common Pleas
The Ohio Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of the state court system of Ohio.The courts of common pleas are the trial courts of general jurisdiction in the state. They are the only trial courts created by the Ohio Constitution . The duties of the courts are outlined in Article IV, Section...
courtrooms and accompanying judicial offices located on the third floor as well as a jury assembly room, holding cell and conference rooms. A probate
Probate
Probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...
courtroom and judicial offices are located on the second floor, as is the Clerk of Courts Office. The first floor houses court security, court administration and a domestic relations courtroom with magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
s' offices and conference rooms. A five story office building adjoining the courthouse contains a third common pleas courtroom and judicial offices as well as other county offices including the auditor, treasurer, engineer, commissioners, prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
, adult probation, building inspection and board of elections. A glass-enclosed atrium joining the courthouse and office building was completed in 2004. At that time existing entrances and exits to both buildings were closed and the atrium became the only public entrance to either building. It is staffed by court security who monitor people entering the buildings.
The jail
Construction of the old Wood County Jail, located next to the Courthouse, was begun on May 21, 1901, and completed in 1902 at a cost of $49,000. The Fremont, OhioFremont, Ohio
Fremont Public Schools enroll 4,450 students in public primary and secondary schools. The district administers 9 public schools including seven elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, Fremont Ross. In addition, the city is home to one private catholic high school, Saint Joseph...
, firm of Fronizer and Andrews constructed the sandstone building to closely match the architecture of the Courthouse. It served as a jail until 1990 and has since been renovated and now houses the Wood County Record Center and Law Library.