The new courthouse, built 1827-29, was much larger than its predecessor at Vittoria. It was designed by John Ewart, an architect from York (Toronto), who made the building resemble the ancestral home of Col. Talbot's family, likely at Talbot's suggestion. Talbot may have felt it would inspire a respect for the authority of its occupants: the appointed Justices of the Peace, their clerks, and the Sheriff. The Justices who formed the district government met four times a year. They levied taxes and directed public works such as road repair and acted as judges in trials for some types of crime. When the district level of government disappeared in 1849, leaving only the counties, the building became the Middlesex County Courthouse.
Prisoners were held in different parts of the building depending on the nature of their offense, until 1843, when the existing jail was constructed. The court room, which can still be seen today on the second floor, is now the Middlesex County council chambers. The jail and courthouse were not replaced until the early 1970s, despite repeated calls for new facilities. The County's decision to retain and restore the buildings has preserved a very visible reminder of why London was founded.
|
