The historic Geauga County Courthouse shines like a beacon in the night, standing tall and proud as the county seat for 150 years.
The historic Geauga County Courthouse shines like a beacon in the night, standing tall and proud as the county seat for 150 years.
“Anyone who has spent a significant amount of time working here can feel the history this courthouse brings to Chardon Square and the seat of Geauga County,” said Denise Kaminski, Geauga County clerk of courts.
If the courthouse itself could talk, it might share tales of countless legal cases and honorable judges whose faces adorn the walls in photos.
Local historian Bill Jackson recently shared some of its history during presentations at the Geauga County Public Library’s Chardon branch.
“The courthouse is interesting historically, architecturally and as a local focal point,” Jackson said. “It can be seen by visitors from a distance and stands prominently on the North Park.”
This past September, the building reached a birthday milestone.
Jackson shared history on the destruction of the 1824 Geauga County Courthouse in the fire of 1868, the controversy over building a new courthouse in Chardon, the construction of the present courthouse and the “county seat question of 1868-1869” — which included arguments for and against Chardon being the county seat.
Jackson said even as the decision to rebuild the courthouse, which burned in 1868, was being made, there were competing interests and competing proposals for the location of the courthouse.
“The history of Geauga County is replete with instances (1835, 1840, 1850 and 1868) in which different parties have sought to move the county seat from Chardon’s public square,” Jackson said.
Parties from outside Chardon (primarily, but not exclusively from Burton) sought to move the county seat out of Chardon and to a location more centrally located in the middle of county, Jackson explained.
This action pre-dated the Chardon fire, which took place in the early morning of July 25, 1868, around 2 a.m.
“As a result of the fire, the county courthouse and the county jail were destroyed and needed to be replaced,” Jackson said. “This circumstance created an urgency to rebuild. The Ohio legislature controlled the ‘removal’ aspect (the proposal to remove Chardon as the county seat) and basically ‘punted’ by indefinitely delaying a final decision. The county commissioners controlled the rebuilding and funding aspect and determined to go forward first with rebuilding the jail in Chardon and second, with the rebuilding of the courthouse in Chardon.”
Construction took about 11 months.
“The commissioners accepted the courthouse (as meeting their completion
specifications) on Aug. 20, 1870,” Jackson said.
Jackson also touched on the years of discussion over the appropriate location for present county offices and courts.
He hoped listeners gained a greater appreciation for the history of the current courthouse, built in 1869. It is the fifth courthouse to serve Geauga County since its creation in 1805/1806.
“This first was located in what is now Lake County (New Market). The last four have been in and around Chardon (Square),” Jackson said, highlighting the architectural features of the courthouse and noting not only its simple beauty, but also that it has been subject to changes over the decades.
The prior 1824 courthouse was located at the head of Court Street on the west side of Main Street, he said.
The only building on North Park prior to construction of the 1869 courthouse was the town hall, a building that was moved to accommodate the building of the new courthouse, Jackson said.
The South Park was a fenced-in pasture before and after the building of the current courthouse, he said.
The courthouse presently holds common pleas court functions in its two courtrooms (trials, pre-trials, hearings, negotiations, etc.) and the clerk of courts office.
Other county offices have been moved elsewhere — to the Courthouse Annex across Main Street and to 470 Center Street. The Geauga County Juvenile/Probate Court is also across the street in the annex.
Kaminski has worked in the Chardon Courthouse since 1992, serving almost six terms.
“Today, my office as clerk of courts and the legal staff are located on the third floor of the courthouse since 2007,” Kaminski said. “We had been located on the second floor for many years and in the early days, I understand that all of the county offices were located in the courthouse.”
Before 2005, the juvenile/probate court was housed on the third floor of the courthouse.
“They were moved across the street to the second floor of the Courthouse Annex where Judge (Tim) Grendell, his magistrate, one of our court IT directors and the judge’s staff now reside,” Kaminski said.
Today, the basement of the courthouse includes the Adult Probation Department, Adult Supervision Probation Department and Law Library.
The first floor is home to Judge Carolyn Paschke, her staff and her courtroom, the office of the court administrator, along with the mediator, who uses the office a few days a week.
The second floor is home to Judge David Ondrey, his staff and his courtroom.
Magistrate Bruce Smalheer, his secretary and his hearing room are also located on the second floor.
“The third floor is home to my office, my deputy clerks, Magistrate Sara Heffter, her secretary and her hearing room,” Kaminski said. “Magistrate Barbara Powell, who is a staff attorney/magistrate, is also located on the third floor.”
A floor above houses the famous clock tower and a small office where a court IT director resides.
“For many years, the clock that is housed in a tower and sits on top of the courthouse was not operational,” Kaminski said. “It was repaired and restored to its original location on May 18, 1996. George Davis, our former county maintenance supervisor, had received funds that were raised for this purpose and he was very proud of this accomplishment.”
Jackson said the Geauga County Commissioners are currently deciding what is to be done with the county functions in Chardon — i.e. the courts, the offices of the elected officials and the offices of the other county administrative functions.
“Can Chardon remain the county seat without actually having a physical presence of the courthouse and/or the elected officials?” Jackson asked.
He noted as time passes, circumstances and requirements change.
“This is true with government functions, as well as personal and business matters,” Jackson said. “The commissioners are now facing significant issues related to the functionality of the current courthouse, as well as the other county facilities in the city of Chardon. Safety, security, modernization and maintenance issues are all being considered.”
Jackson said he believes it is important to respect the past and seek to keep (in one form or another) the important buildings and other historical features as a concrete link to the county’s heritage.
“I recognize that not every piece of history is worth saving, but certainly the courthouse is worthy of keeping, if feasible, under all pertinent factors,” he said.
Glen Vernick is Geauga County’s maintenance director.
“It’s special by the way the building was built and how it’s lasted since 1869,” Vernick said.
During Vernick’s tenure, he’s seen renovations of the third floor, mortar and brick repair of the building and lighting the outside of the courthouse.
“For a building to be this old, it means people in the past, present and future really cared about the building,” Vernick said.
