The former Lincoln County Courthouse is a two-storey, Ontario Georgian-style building that was built from 1848 to 1849 to house the offices of town council, a market, fire and police station. A second phase of construction included the relocated County offices and courthouse and began in 1865.
Getting here
The courthouse is located at 101 King St. in downtown St. Catharines.
Architectural heritage
The courthouse was designed after the Town Hall in Perugia, Italy. The facades visible on James and King Streets are made from channelled Queenston ashlars, while the west and north walls are constructed with limestone and brick, respectively. The front facade has a three-faced clock tower that is topped by an octagonal cupola.
The clock is believed to be imported from Europe and continues to chime with the assistance of the original weights which extend from the clock tower to the first floor. The entrance to the building, like that in Perugia, is carved in stone and features upright balustrades which conform to the slope of the stairway. The supporting columns are individually carved to fit its specific location.
The interior still has handsomely detailed, glazed paneled-wood doors and various plaster cornices are still intact. The upper floor, originally the Council Chamber and meeting hall, contains 22-foot-high ceilings. The first floor, formerly an indoor market, contains 13-foot-high ceilings. A carved bull's head and a sheaf of wheat on the James Street entrance are all that remain to indicate the east wing basement was formerly a market.