Historic building still has a future

While construction of the new $20.8 million Juvenile/Probate Court building dominates West Main Cross Street downtown, the old court building nearby has a future, too. No, not the Hancock County Courthouse, which was built in 1890. This court building, located between the courthouse and the new court building, is even older. Built as a church in 1865, it houses the existing Juvenile/Probate Court operations. Speculation has spun over the years about other potential uses by county government or other entities. But Hancock County Commissioner Timothy Bechtol said the county would like to keep ownership of the edifice, possibly using it for the Public Defender's Office. The commissioners have not yet obtained estimates on the cost to renovate the old building. "But it is in an ideal location, obviously, for anything court-related. We still have our public defender's office in leased space. That is costing the county money," Bechtol said. "So it would be better to have them in a county-owned facility if we could make that happen." The structure has had multiple additions over the years. The additions are the worst parts of the building, said Bechtol, who is an architect. "The actual, original core that was the historic church is actually in the best shape of all compared to everything else in that building," he said. "If we could go back down to the original format, the original shape and size, I think we would be better off than in trying to maintain all of the additions that have been put on over the years by various sources." Everything on the building that is not under a green roof was added. "It's fairly substantial how much they added onto that building. It's added on the south side, the west side and on the north side," Bechtol said. Civil War split The Probate/Juvenile Court are fairly recent arrivals at the building, which has a rich and varied history of users, chronicled by Edwin Heminger, former publisher of The Courier and a founder of Hancock Historical Museum. What follows is Heminger's report on the building's history: The building was initially constructed by the Congregational Church. It represented a new denomination in Findlay, having formed as a result of a split in the First Presbyterian Church over the Civil War. The dissenters decided to form a new church, and the edifice at 308 Dorney Plaza was the result. Originally the building was surmounted by a tall steeple, with chimes in the tower. In the 1880s the congregation disbanded, and the church was rented to other faiths at various times. Among the denominations leasing the structure, all on a temporary basis, were the First Church of God, the United Presbyterian Church, and the First Methodist Church. Newspaper, prom night Early in the 20th century the building was leased to the State of Ohio for the local unit of the National Guard. The local military company occupied the property when Findlay Publishing Company, publishers of the Morning Republican newspaper, purchased the building in 1909. The publishing company arranged for construction of a second floor in the church structure, and the top floor continued to be used by the National Guard. The newspaper occupied the first floor and leased the upstairs to the Guard unit. The upstairs front portion was used by the officers for their headquarters, and the balance of the space was used as a drill floor. During the National Guard's occupancy, the military unit's drill floor was the scene of numerous community social functions, including the annual junior-senior prom of Findlay High School. When World War I came, the local military company entered active service and the lease was given up. At that time, the officer's headquarters area was leased to the newly formed Farm Bureau organization, and the county's first agricultural agent, Enos M. Rowe, established his offices there. After a few years, they found other quarters. The newspaper's editorial and news operations were then moved to the second floor area which the guard officers had used. The newspaper further expanded its quarters with an addition to the church structure, extending the building to Cory Street in the rear. In 1937, the newspaper moved some of its operations to the second floor area formerly used as a military drill floor. A general remodeling of the entire building took place at that time. Sheriff's Office In the early 1960s, the newspaper added more space, that time for installation of new press equipment. A new building to accommodate the presses was constructed in 1966 at 701 W. Sandusky St. The newspaper continued to occupy the 308 Dorney Plaza property for all but press and mailroom activities. By 1973, the newspaper moved all of its operations to the Sandusky Street site after expanding the building there. The property at 308 Dorney Plaza — back then it was 308 Broadway — was then sold to the Hancock County commissioners. Early in 1975, the Hancock County Sheriff's Office moved into the building. In March 1989, the new Hancock County Justice Center was opened at 200 W. Crawford St., leaving the 308 Dorney Plaza location vacant except for Hancock County Special Projects, which occupied part of the second floor. In 1991, the offices of the Hancock County Juvenile Court and Probate Court moved into the building.