A different mood prevailed at the site of the Seneca County Courthouse in Tiffin, Ohio, this morning. Various people and organizations had tried to piece together enough funding to save and preserve the courthouse, but their efforts fell short, and the County Commissioners voted (2-1) to demolish the building and, when times are better, build anew. Offices had already relocated and the building has sat empty for some time.
I drove by the courthouse this morning after a couple meetings in Tiffin, and snapped what may be one of the last pictures of an intact courthouse (with protestors and their signs in view). Later this afternoon, a crane with a large wrecking ball began pounding the southwest corner of the courthouse. A picture from the Toledo Blade attests to its initial damage.
The Seneca County Courthouse, still intact, and its supporters, as I drove by this morning.
Later this afternoon, as the wrecking ball went into action..
I have been around both buildings over the years, and had meetings in the courthouse many years ago. I suppose the failure to be able to spend extra funds to renovate and reuse the courthouse is a sign of these austere times, and it probably makes economic sense to do away with a white elephant such as this, but it still feels like an important former source of pride is now gone forever, and Seneca County has lost an important part of its identity. 
3 comments:
Great pictures, but a bit sad too, especially about the courthouse. So much history gone in just a few minutes. I suppose that is the way of progress, but you can't help but wish they could have saved it.
I lived in Tiffin for 14 years, so I remember the old courthouse very well. It was still in use when I was there. It's hard to visualize the square without the courthouse on it.
Tearing down that wonderful courthouse is NOT PROGRESS !!!!!! It's TERRIBLE !!!!!
(But thank you Ohio for sending your tax dollars to us on the east coast via America's great money launderer, the federal government.)
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