The Lincoln County Courthouse was erected in 1849, originally as the St. Catharines Town Hall. With the prosperity generated by the canal, increasingly, St. Catharines replaced historic Niagara as the dominant community of the Niagara peninsula. The two storey Italianate building was designed by Kivas Tully, Architect, who went on to be the chief architect of the Department of Public Works from 1867 to 1901.

In 1864, when St. Catharines became the county seat of Lincoln County, a courthouse addition was constructed to the north of the original building. Mr. Latshaw, architect of the addition, designed other noteworthy projects including Lundy’s Lane, Niagara Falls (Stamford Township Hall, 1874), Ruthven, Cayuga (1840’s) and Willowbank, Queenston (1834).

The building’s original functions were replaced when the current city hall (c.1932) and a new courthouse (c.1971) were built. Currently, the building contains private offices and a theatre company. In 1998, the City, concerned by the deteriorating condition of this important building, contracted a condition assessment and strategy for repair.

A phased conservation plan was developed which involved:

• Non-abrasive Jos cleaning of the masonry
• Repointing with hydraulic, lime-based mixes
• Slate roof repairs
• Interior wood roof truss reinforcement
• Clock tower restoration
• Foundation insulation and drainage
• Modifications and revisions to the surrounding landscape and iron fence

Other CAPHC members involved in the project were:

Chris Pickard, architect (phase 1)

James Knight, Structural engineer

Wendy Shearer, Landscape architect

Pieter Chung of Roof Tile Management
(General Contractor - all phases of the work)

Jury Comments

The jurors praised the team approach of this restoration that involved numerous experienced conservators and trades. The jury was impressed with the sense of pride that this project appears to have re-established within the community. The project has been so well received by the municipal administration and the community that the City is even contemplating moving their staff back into the Courthouse!