USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > History of Washington County : from its first settlement to the present time, first under Virginia as Yohogania, Ohio, or Augusta County until 1781, and subsequently under Pennsylvania > Part 15
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William Darby, Esq., in the year 1845, and then in the 71st year of his age, in speaking of Bassettown ( now Washington), said : In the fall of 1782, the site where Washington now stands was a vast thicket of black and red hawthorn, wild plums, hazel bushes, shrub oaks, and briers ; often I have picked hazel-nuts where the court-house now stands. The yell of the savage rung in fancy's ear and alas too often in the heart of the dying victim. The whole country was a dense forest, only broken by small patches, with dead trees, made so by the axe of the early pioneer.
Bassettown, under the proprietorship of David Hoge, improved but slowly, there being but two deeds on record prior to its sale in 1785, one to James Marshall, February 8, 1785, and the other to Charles Dodd, July 21, 1784. After John and William Hoge had purchased the town, and added the addition thereto of all the lots south of Maiden Street, and divided the land into outlets, a new im- petus was given to the town, and lots sold rapidly and houses were speedily erected thereon.
In this connection, we may add that Robert Fulton, of steamboat notoriety, held three lots in Washington. While sojourning in Lon- don, in 1793, he directed Mr. Hoge to make deeds of these three lots to his three sisters, Mrs. David Morris ( No. 4), Mrs. Isabella Cook (No. 118), Mrs. Peggy Scott ( No. 125).
In looking over the original lot-holders, and up to the date of in- corporation, we find the names of John, William, and David Hoge, Dr. Moore, William Horton, James Marshall, Charles and John Dodd,
9
130
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
Absalom Baird, S. Darley, Anthony Horseman, J. Lochman, Jos. Harris, Rev. John Casper Sinclair, Thomas and David Acheson, Van Swearingen, D. G. Mitchell, Leonard Boyer, Thomas Hutchin- son, D. Moody, Mary Miller, Philip Milsach, Thomas Stokely, Hugh Mears, Margaret Scott (sister of Robert Fulton), D. Blackmore, Hugh Workman, Edward Lynch, Wm. Findley, Alexander Addison, M. Collins, Thomas Bristor, John Standley, T. Woodward, Reasin Beall, Robert Fulton, David Morris, Archibald Kerr, John Wilson, Alexander Reed, John Flake, Daniel Moore, James Goudy, James White, James Gilmore, Isabella Cooke (sister of Robert Fulton), James W. McBeth, Stephen Way, Matthew Ritchie, Hugh Wiley, Robert Hazlett, James Ross, William Meetkirke, Daniel Kehr, Abra- ham Lattimore, Joseph Seaman, James Orr, J. Purviance, Gabriel Brakeny, Stephen Wood, Hugh and Samuel Workmen, Patrick Bry- son, Daniel and Jonathan Leet.
But what changes have been wrought since ! The town from several hundred inhabitants has increased to many thousand, its manufactur- ing, commercial, educational, moral, and religious interests have all been largely developed. The second generation of these pioneers have also been gathered to their fathers, and while the old landmarks re- main to point out their homes, where brotherly love, truth, and friendship reigned supreme, the graveyard and the cemetery point to their sacred ashes. Amid the multiplicity of changes, we find the original property only remain in the descendants of John Wilson, Alexander Reed, David Acheson, and Patrick Bryson.
The citizens of Washington knew that their town was inferior to but few of the towns of Pennsylvania, but that it was destitute of many useful improvements, which could not be accomplished without being incorporated as a borough. Their streets were not regulated, and, during some of the winter months, not being piked, were almost impassable; the sideways were not paved, neither was there public spirit enough to purchase a fire-engine to make provision against fire. In the midst of these discouragements and difficulties, a town meeting was called on February 6, 1795, to consider the necessity of petition- ing the legislature for an act of incorporation. The people met and discussed the question, but the principal objection was that the taxes would be greatly increased, and that a few men would have the control and direction of the borough affairs. These sentiments prevailed, and the question was ventilated through the Western Telegraph, then published at Washington. A writer, who signs himself " Tom Stick in the Mud," thus sarcastically writes upon the subject : "For my part I've lived all my born days, and my posterity before me and my child- ren after me, up to the eyes in mud and never a bit the worse for it, and I can't see why other people should think themselves better stuff than we. I loves fun, and, at our end of the town, it would some- times make you die with laughing to see your calico-carcassed, spin- dle-shanked folks sticking fast in a crossing-place and leaving their shoes behind them."
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
" A BACHELOR," in answering the foregoing communication, gives one reason why the town should be incorporated, in these words : " It would prevent emigrants and strangers from giving as accurate a description of the ladies' ankles as I myself can do. I can tell any of them whether they are flat-footed, beef-shanked, knock-kneed, or whether either of them or not. Oh ! how I have shaken my sides to see them straddling through the mud up street to a tea drinking. I hope, therefore, that the people will see that a corporation is abso- lutely necessary." Notwithstanding this newspaper description, the town, however, was not incorporated until the 13th day of February, 1810.
The act of incorporation defines its boundaries as follows :-
" Beginning at a post on the land of James Ashbrook; thence by land of Robert Anderson, Thomas Officer, and others, south seventy-seven de- grees west one hundred and fifty-nine and one-half perches to a post ; thence by land of Thomas Jones, William Hoge, and others, south fourteen and three-fourth degrees east one hundred perches to a post; thence by land of James Ashbrook, William Sherrard, and others, south thirteen de- grees east sixty-three and one-half perches to a post; thence by land of John Hoge, south fifty-one and one-half degrees east twenty-nine perches to a post; thence by land late of John Simonson, Hugh Workmen, and others, north seventy-seven degrees east one hundred and twenty perches to a post; thence by land of Thomas McFadden, Daniel Kehr, and others, north, four and one-half degrees west eighty-four perches to a post; thence by land of Robert Hazlett, Isaiah Steen, and others, north ten degrees west one hundred and two perches to the place of beginning.".
This act gives them authority to elect officers, make and enforce laws, hold property, and perform such acts as are usual to corporate boroughs.
On the 27th of March, 1852, the borough authorities were in- structed to apply to the Court of Quarter Sessions for the admission of the borough of Washington to the benefits and privileges of a charter under the act of Assembly of the 3d of April, 1851, which was subsequently confirmed by the court on the 18th of May, 1852.
This general act provides, in Section 30, for the enlargement of borough limits, by not less than twenty of the freeholder owners of lots petitioning the council, and they declaring by ordinance that the limits have been enlarged.
June 10th, 1854, and 6th of January, 1855, the borough limits were extended to the present lines. At the May term in 1855, the borough was divided into two wards by Main Street, named respec- tively the East and West Wards.
With these preliminary remarks, we may now state that the borough of Washington is situated near the centre of Washington County, on the National road, twenty-four miles from Brownsville and thirty-two miles from Wheeling; twenty-seven miles from Pitts- burg and twenty-two miles from Monongahela City. Its population in 1860 was 3587 (but in 1870 about 4500). Its situation is salu-
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
brious, and from its position locally adapted to become a manufac- turing centre. Bituminous coal underlies the town and valley, while a railroad of seven miles would not only add Canonsburg to Wash- ington, but develop for manufacturing purposes all the coal which exists on Chartiers' Creek.
The streets are rectangular, and are all sixty feet wide except Main and Beau streets, which are sixty-six feet wide.
Before entering upon a history of the public buildings we shall give a list of the burgesses and town council, treasurers and town clerks, since the date of its charter to the present time-I have there- fore prepared them from the official record for future reference, knowing that our borough history would be incomplete and imper- fect without such a record.
BURGESSES.
1 .- 1810. Alexander Reed, John Wilson.
24 .- 1833 Archibald Kerr, John Wilson.
2 .- 1811. Re-elected. 25 .- 1834. James Orr,
3 .- 1812. David Morris, John S. Brady.
Thomas Officer 26 .- 1835. Archibald Kerr, James Ruple.
4 .- 1813. Re-elected.
5 .- 1814. Daniel Moore, James Orr.
27 .- 1836. John R. Griffith, James Ruple.
John Wilson.
29 .- 1838. John L. Gow, James Ruple.
7 .- 1816. Alexander Murdoch, Alexander Reed. 30 .- 1839. James Blaine, John R. Griffith.
8 .- 1817. John Wilson, David Morris, 31 .- 1840. Robert Officer, John S. Brady.
9 .- 1818. James Blaine,
James Shannon. 32 .- 1841. Robert Officer, George W. Brice.
10 .- 1819. James Blaine, John Gregg.
33 .- 1842. Re-elected.
11 .- 1820. Re-elected.
12 .- 1821. Re-elected.
13 .- 1822. Re-elected.
14 .- 1823. James Orr,
James Ruple.
36 .- 1845. Mathew Griffin,
15 .- 1824. James Ruple,
Daniel Moore.
37 .- 1846. L. P. Hitchcock, John L. Gow.
17 .- 1826. Hugh Workman, James Orr.
38 .- 1847. William McKennan, Alexander Murdoch.
18 .- 1827. Re-elected.
19 .- 1828. Re-elected.
20 .- 1829. James Orr,
₹ John Kuntz.
21 .- 1830. Re-elected.
41 .- 1850. William Hopkins, .
Collin M. Reed.
42 .- 1851. Alex. W. Acheson,
Peter Reimund.
.
39 .- 1848. James Ruple, James Langley.
40 .- 1849. Collin M. Reed, Alfred Creigh.
22 .- 1831. George Kuntz, James Orr. 23 .- 1832. John S. Brady, John Wilson.
34 .- 1843. Robert Officer, Thomas McGiffin.
35 .- 1844. Isaac Leet, James Langley
Sample Sweeney.
16 .- 1825. Re-elected.
28 .- 1837. Re-elected.
6 .- 1815. David Shields,
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
43 .- 1852. Alex. W. Acheson, Hugh W. Reynolds.
44 .- 1853. William Workman, Charles W. Hays.
45 .- 1854. Charles W. Hays, James Spriggs.
46 .- 1855. Alexandel Murdoch, Samuel Cunningham.
47 .- 1856. Jacob Slagle,
. James Brown.
48 .-- 1857. James B. Ruple, William Hopkins.
49 .- 1858. James W. Kuntz, James Rush.
50 .- 1859. Re-elected.
51 .- 1860. James W Kuntz, Thomas J. Walker.
52 .- 1861. James W. Kuntz, James Rush.
53 .- 1862. Re-elected.
54 .- 1863. James W. Kuntz, Alfred Creigh.
55 .- 1864. Andrew Brady, James Rush.
56 .- 1865. Re-elected.
57 .- 1866. Charles Hayes,
William Smith.
58 .- 1867. H. J. Vankirk, John Hoon.
59 .- 1868. John D. Boyle, John McElroy.
60 .- 1869. John D. Boyle, J. Y. Hamilton.
Municipal elections changed by the legis- lature March 16, 1869, and directed to be held in October of each year. In Wash- ington borough the burgess and two coun- cilmen were directed to be elected, and the subsequent year the assistant burgess and three councilmen-these officers to continue in office two years.
61 .- 1869. John D. Boyle, Theodore F. Slater.
TOWN COUNCIL.
1 .- 1810. Hugh Wilson, Thomas Acheson, Hugh Workman, Robert An- derson, and Parker Campbell.
2 .- 1811. Re-elected.
3 .- 1812. John Scott, Matthew Dill, Hugh Workman, Parker Campbell, and Thomas McGiffin.
4 .- 1813. Thomas McGiffin, Parker Campbell, Daniel Moore, James Orr, and Hugh Workman.
5 .- 1814. Parker Campbell, Thomas Officer, Thomas McGiffin, Hugh Workman, and David Morris.
6 .- 1815. James Orr, Parker Campbell, Hugh Workman, Thomas McGif- fin, and Daniel Moore.
7 .- 1816. Thomas McGiffin, James Lattimore, James Blaine, Parker Campbell, and George Baird.
8 .- 1817. Alexander Reed, James Blaine, James Lattimore, James Orr, and Thomas H. Baird.
9 .- 1818. Thomas M. T. McKennan, Hugh Workman, John Wilson, James Garret, and William Hunter.
10 .- 1819. Hugh Workman, John Wilson, William Hunter, Thomas M. T. McKennan, and James Garret.
11 .- 1820. Re-elected.
12 .- 1821. Thomas M. T. McKennan, John Wilson, David Eckert, James Stevens, and John Koontz.
13 .- 1822. Re-elected.
14 .- 1823. Hugh Workman, Thomas M. T. McKennan, Jacob Stagle, John Wilson, and James Stevens.
15 .- 1824. Archibald Kerr, Thomas Good, James Lattimore, Thomas M. T. McKennan, and James Kerr.
16 .- 1825. Re-elected.
17 .- 1826. Thomas M. T. McKennan, Thomas McGiffin, George Kuntz, John S. Brady, and John Wilson.
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
18 .- 1827. Thomas M. T. McKennan, George Kuntz, John Wilson, Jacob Slagle, and George L. Morrison.
19 .- 1828. Thomas M. T. McKennan, George Kuntz, Jacob Slagle, John K. Wilson, and Samuel Hazlett.
20 .- 1829. Thomas M. T. McKennan, Jacob Slagle, George Kuntz, Wil- liam Robinson, and William Hunter.
21 .- 1830. John K. Wilson, Thomas M. T. McKennan, James Shannon, William Robinson, and John Wilson.
22 .- 1831. William Baird, William Robinson, John Wilson, James Shan- non, and John K. Wilson.
23 .- 1832. Re-elected.
24 .- 1833. Hugh Workman, Isaac Leet, George Kuntz, Thomas Officer, and John Morrow.
25 .- 1834. Isaac Leet, John Morrow, George Kuntz, John K. Wilson, and Thomas Officer.
26 .- 1835. James Shannon, Isaac Leet, John K. Wilson, John L. Gow, and John Wilson.
27 .- 1836. Isaac Leet, Andrew Shearer, John N. Dagg, John Morrow, and John Bradfield.
28 .- 1837. John L. Gow, John N. Dagg, Andrew Shearer, John Morrow, and George Black.
29 .- 1838. George Black, John R. Griffith, Robert Officer, Andrew Shearer, and John Morrow.
30 .- 1839. Alexander W. Acheson, John Best, Henry Langley, James H. Pattison, and Peter Wolfe.
31 .- 1840. Alexander W. Acheson, Peter Wolfe, John Morrow, Adam Sil- vey, and Oliver Lindsey.
32 .- 1841. Alexander W. Acheson, Peter Wolfe, Oliver Lindsey, James Brown, and Matthew Griffin.
33 .- 1842. Re-elected.
34 .- 1843. Alexander W. Acheson, George Lonkert, George W. Brice, John Grayson, and John S. Brady.
35 .- 1844. Oliver Lindsey, John Best, John R. Griffith, Peter Wolfe, and Jacob Kissler.
36 .- 1845. William Smith, Oliver Lindsey, John Best, Peter Kennedy, and David Wolfe.
37 .- 1846. John Morrow, James Brown, Joseph Henderson, Thomas Logan, and George Lonkert.
38 .- 1847. James M. Hutchinson, James Brice, T. W. Grayson, Alfred Thirkield, and Robert Officer.
39 .- 1848. John Morrow, William Hopkins, Charles W. Hays, George Black, and James Rush.
40 .- 1849. Peter Kennedy, William Hopkins, Charles W. Hays, Jacob Slagle, and Oliver Lindsey.
41 .- 1850. John Bausman, Philip Kuhn, Jacob Kissler, John S. Brady, and Thomas B. Bryson.
42 .- 1851. Sample Sweeny, Oliver Lindsey, Freeman Brady, Sr., Collin M. Reed, and Thomas W. Grayson.
43 .- 1852. Freeman Brady, Sr., Oliver Lindsey, William McKennan, John Wiley, and James Brown.
44 .- 1853. John Morrow, William R. Oliver, James Rush, John Wiley, and William T. Fleming.
45 .- 1854. Jacob Kessler, J. L. Judson, James D. Best, Dr. M. H. Clarke, and Collin M. Read.
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
46 .- 1855. Thomas W. Grayson, T. S. Mckinley, H. W. Reynolds, A. R. Frisbie, and John McClelland.
47 .- 1856. L. W. Stockton, Dr. J. R. Wilson, Simon Cort, John McElroy, and Th. B. Bryson.
48 .- 1857. James W. Kuntz, Charles W. Hays, Thomas B. Bryson, John . Mc Allister, and S. R. Witherow.
49 .- 1858. John Prigg, Jacob Goldsmith, N. F. Brobst, David Wolf, and W. H. Stoy.
50 .- 1859. James Walton, James W. Humphreys, William T. Fleming, Charles W. Hays, and Jackson Spriggs.
51 .- 1860. Re-elected.
52 .- 1861. Charles W. Hays, Freeman Brady, Jr., Andrew Brady, John Prigg, and Alexander Frazer.
53 .- 1862. Charles W. Hays, Thomas D. O'Hara, Andrew Brady, John Prigg, and Samuel Beatty.
54 .- 1863. John Prigg, John Naghtan, James Walton, John W. Lockhart, and W. T. Fleming.
55 .- 1864. Jacob Miller, Thomas Seamans, Alpheus Murphy, A. J. Caton, and P. Waldron.
56 .- 1865. Ira Lacock, John Naugtan, G. Jackson Dagg, Wm. H. Drury, A. H. Ecker.
57 .- 1866. Thomas Walker, T. J. Hodgins, Nelson Vankirk, William Fitz- william, and David Aiken.
58 .- 1867. James C. Acheson, Thomas Mckean, Charles V. Grier, Alex. Seaman, John Hallam.
59 .- 1868. William H. Taylor, John Templeton, G. O. Jones, Robert W. Davis, and Samuel Hazlett.
60 .- 1869. Alfred Creigh, A. B. Caldwell, J. L. Judson, A. C. Morrow, and James Huston.
By act of the legislature, March 16, 1869, three councilmen were to be elected biennially with the assistant burgess, at the October election in 1869, term of service to commence April, 1870, which resulted in the election of
61 .- 1870. George S. Hart, Martin Luther, and James Huston.
TREASURERS.
1810-12. Daniel Moore. 1863-65. George Kuntz.
1813-15. Alexander Reed.
1866. David Aiken.
1816. Daniel Moore.
1867. John C. Hastings.
1817-19. John Barrington.
1868. John Aiken.
1820-35. John Gregg.
1869. L. R. W. Little.
1836-56. George Kuntz.
1870.
M. G. Kuntz.
1857-62. George Baird.
TOWN CLERKS.
1810-11. David Shields. 1848-50. William J. Wilson.
1812-14. Samuel Cunningham.
1851-54. Joseph O'Hara.
1815-16. John Cunningham. 1855-62. William B. Rose.
1817-31. John Marshall.
1863.
Ashford Engle.
1832-33. Samuel Doak. 1864.
Henry Brown (2 mos.).
1834. Henry Langley. 1864-65. Thaddeus Stanton.
1835-40. George W. Brice.
1866.
J. Goodrich Ruple.
1841-42. Robert K. Shannon. 1867.
John Aiken.
1843-44. Henry M. Brister. 1868. Joseph A. McKee.
1845-46. James Mckinley. 1869. John Waldron.
1847. David Wherry. 1870. Wesley Wolf.
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
The public buildings in Washington Borough consist of the court-house, containing the court, jury, and library room, and the public offices, the gaol, the old market house, town hall, containing an audience room, council chamber, post office, citizens' library, engine house, and market house, Washington and Jefferson college, First Presbyterian church, Methodist Episcopal church, United Presbyterian church, Methodist Protestant church, Trinity Episco- pal church, German Evangelical Lutheran church, Second Presby- terian church, Roman Catholic church, Cumberland Presbyterian church, Disciples of Christ, Baptist church, African Methodist Episcopal church, Wright's Chapel (African), Franklin Bank of Washington, Female Seminary, Union School building, Washington gas works, Washington cemetery, Washington coal works.
COURT-HOUSE.
On the 18th of October, 1781, David Hoge, of Cumberland County, conveyed to James Edgar, Hugh Scott, Van Swearingen, Daniel Leet, and John Armstrong, a piece of land in the town of " BASSETT" for the use of the inhabitants of Washington County, to erect thereon a court-house, prison, &c., for and in consideration of the good-will he beareth to the inhabitants, and also the sum of five shillings. The ground conveyed is thus described : Situate in BASSETTOWN, fronting and extending along Monongahela (Main) Street, 240 feet, and in the same manner along Ohio (Beau) Street, 240 feet; thence with the lot marked in the original plan, 123 (now owned by Robert Boyd, Esq.); thence with Johnston's (Cherry) Alley 240 feet to the Monongahela Street aforesaid. The witnesses to the deed were Henry Taylor and David Reddick, which was recorded in the Recorder's office February 7, 1785.
The organic law of the county, dated March 28, 1781, section 9, directed the courts to be held at the house of David Hoge, Esq., until a court-house shall be built or otherwise provided for. The courts were held at the designated place until 1783. The courts were afterwards held at the house of Charles Dodd in 1783, at the house of James Wilson in 1784, and John Dodd's from 1785 to 1787, each of these persons receiving asstipulated rent. The house of Charles Dodd was upon the lot now owned by James G. Strean, Esq., but afterwards John Dodd bought the same property. The house rented from James Wilson was on the lot where Mr. William H. Drury resides. The courts were held there but one year, and returned to Mr. Dodd's. The gaol occupied the first floor and the conrt the second. It was in this court-house that Thomas Richard- son was tried for larceny in 1784, convicted, and subsequently hanged, an account of which we shall give in Chapter VIII.
In 1783 the commissioners began the erection of a log court-
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
house and other public buildings, which were not completed until July, 1787. In 1784 a tax of £500 was laid for the purpose of building a court-house, and in 1788 an additional sum of £150 to pay the balance on the same, the whole amounting to £650. This LOG court-house, the first which was erected, was occupied until the winter of 1790-91, when it was destroyed by fire. Rev. Thaddeus Dodd taught a classical school in this court-house, and afterwards kept by David Johnston. It was during the time Mr. Johnston kept school therein that it was burned. He afterwards took charge of the Canonsburg Academy. The commissioners, on the 1st of January, 1792, laid a tax of £1500 to erect a brick court-house and other public buildings.
Local traditions have placed our first court-house at many points, sometimes in different parts of our town, sometimes at Razortown, on the Middletown road, and sometimes on Mr. William Gabby's farm. We have investigated all these traditionary reports, and will give a solution to the whole, remarking that not much confidence can be placed in tradition without being sustained by history.
No other places for holding courts were ever held in Washing- ton County except at the places designated, the records showing of whom the several houses were rented in the town of Washington.
Our readers must bear in mind that Washington and the adjoin- ing counties were claimed by Virginia, of which I have already given the history, that the line separating Ohio and Youghiogheny counties, Virginia, ran near the western limits of the borough of Washington. Youghiogheny County occupied the territory east of this linc, and Ohio County west of it. The court-house of You- ghiogheny County was on the farm of Andrew Heath, nearly oppo- site Elizabethtown, Allegheny County, while that of Ohio County was on the farm of William Gabby, two miles west of this place. Mr. William Gabby assures me that the logs of the court-house were used by his father in the erection of a kitchen, and that the court-house stood between the brick house (now occupied by his son James) and the barn, near the spring. John Gabby, Esq., received In cor- his deed for the same farm as early as the spring of 1784. roboration of this statement, I quote from the writings of Rev. Dr. Joseph Smith, who says, "One of these Virginia court-houses (west of the Monongahela River) stood a few miles west of the present town of Washington. Washington itself did not exist, but a few miserable hamlets, called CATFISH, after the Indian chief of that name who once dwelt there. In the records of the Presbytery of Red Stone, also bearing date October 16, 1782, a minister was appointed as a supply to preach at Ohio County court-house, a seat of justice under the government of Virginia.
The traditional story of a court-house at Razortown is a myth, mentioned in the life of Patrick Gass ; being an aged man when he wrote his life, he mistook the Gabby farm, two miles west of Wash- ington, and placed it two miles northwest of this place. Having
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
thus disposed of the court-house question, we resume our narrative, and shall speak of the second court-house which was erected on the public square.
The second court-house was erected of brick, being commenced in 1792, in the centre of the public square. The cost of this court- house may be thus estimated :-
£ s. d.
1792, Nov. 6. Paid James Marshall for materials for public buildings 60 0 0
7. " John Benjamin and William Reed in full to date for court-house, &c. 807 11 1
66 7. William Gray for measuring and calcu- lating public buildings 6 6
1793, Jan. 8. Messrs. Reeds, in full, for work done court-house and jail 157 8 10
1
" March 23.
Alexander Cunningham for materials 12 14 8
£1044 0
" April 10. John Reed was directed to build a wall around the public buildings, which he had completed on No- vember 6, 1793.
1794, Feb. 28. Messrs. Price and Leet reported to the commissioners the price of the carpenters' and joiners' work of the court-house.
March 4. A tax for £550 was levied for finishing the mason work, and plastering the jail.
July 7. Bill for cleaning court-house and jail-yard, twenty-four dollars and seventy-one cents, approved and paid.
.
" Sept. 3. A bill of John and James Reed for three hundred and thirty-four dollars and eighty cents ordered to be paid for work done.
July 19. The commissioners employed carpenters to work on the cupola of the court-house, finish the same, and have the vane gilded.
This court-house was improved in 1819 by an addition thereto, the commissioners having awarded the contract to Thomas H. Baird, Esq., who gave as his securities David Shields and George Baird, Esqs. October 18, 1836, a county meeting was held in the court- house to take action with regard to the erection of a court-house and other public buildings, which meeting, after a full discussion, resolved that the question should be determined by a vote of the electors of the county, who decided against its erection. But on March 9, 1839, the grand jury considered the erection of a new court-house, and the question was laid over to the next grand jury, who indorsed the proposition. The commissioners then certified that a new court-house would cost $12,000, and the repairs, $5000, and the subsequent grand jury sanctioned its erection, as the public buildings were unfit for public purposes ; and the whole of the public square should be entirely changed, and present an appearance which would be alike creditable to the county and have all the conve-
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