Seneca County Courthouse
Tiffin, Seneca County

on list since 2005

A multi-year saga is nearing an unforunate conclusion in Tiffin, with the statewide preservation and revitalization community looking on in horror and disappointment.  In a very real sense, two elected officials have chosen a path of disinvestment for one of Ohio's best Victorian downtowns.  The impact will be felt for generations, and will affect community development from retail recruitment to the stature of local universities.

At issue is the Seneca County Courthouse, which is poised to become the first 19th century Ohio courthouse to be lost in over 35 years.  As we reported in last year's list,

"The Seneca County Courthouse, which sits majestically in the middle of Downtown Tiffin, was constructed beginning in 1884 at a cost in excess of $200,000.  The building was designed by Elijah E. Myers, a Detroit architect who designed no less than four US state capitol buildings --  the Idaho Territorial Capitol (1885), and the current state capitol buildings in Michigan (1879), Colorado (1887) and Texas (1882).  Myers is probably one of the foremost architects to design an Ohio county courthouse, and the result was spectacular.  The courthouse was classically designed, and topped with a massive clock tower.  In the 1940s, the outer portion of the clock tower was removed, and although the original structure remains underneath, it was covered by a modern exterior. 

Seneca County Commissioners have voted to proceed with demolition.  If this occurs, it would be the first demolition of a 19th century Ohio county courthouse in a generation.  As other counties look to the future of their own historic courthouses, ignoring the full value of the Seneca County Courthouse to the community in which it sits could set a dangerous precedent in other Ohio county seat towns.

It would be impossible to overestimate the loss of this iconic building would have on the revitalization of historic Downtown Tiffin, with resulting negative impact to the entire community.  County courthouses serve as symbols of civic pride, and of faith in both tradition and the future – and can also serve as a centerpiece of successful revitalization efforts.   Investment in this building would provide untold benefit; its loss would have impact far beyond what the Commissioners have considered."

At present, the only realistic possibility of preservation is a pending appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court, filed on behalf of local Plaintiffs by Tiffin Attorney John Barga.  A personal property auction, which will sell off invaluable pieces of local
history to the highest bidder, is scheduled for June 5.

Additional Photos: (click on each for larger photo)

Doorway, Seneca County Courthouse
Doorway, Seneca County Courthouse

Seneca County Courthouse 

Links for Additional Information:

Supreme Court Case -- State of Ohio ex rel. Nancy L. Cook, et al. vs. Seneca County Board of Commissioners, et al..  Click here and enter Case No. 08-0658

NOTE - There have been dozens of newspaper articles surrounding the planned demolition of the Seneca County Courthouse - so many, in fact, that it is difficult to keep up with them.  To stay up-to-date with this story, we recommend the following links:

Tiffin Advertiser-Tribune (search in 21-day archive using word "courthouse")
Toledo Blade (search in "Last 30 days search" using phrase "Seneca County Courthouse")

Photos:  All from Seth Gaines/Creative Commons License