The Williams County commissioners accepted the first county courthouse in Defiance from the contractor. Prior to 1845, Williams County included much of today’s Defiance County and parts of western Fulton County. The county seat was located at Defiance from 1824 to 1840.
In 1832, after occupying various locations, the county completed its first courthouse on Wayne Avenue, north of Second Street. The two-story brick courthouse was 32 feet long, 22 feet wide, and 20 feet high from the foundation to the square. Its front entrance opened into a sparsely furnished courtroom with about a dozen chairs, two or three tables, and benches for the jury and spectators. Large windows illuminated the courtroom, and heat was supplied by a fireplace. A back door provided access to a wooden privy.
The second floor was divided into two rooms; the north room was occupied by the auditor and, initially, probably the rest of the county officials. The south room was finished later and became the sheriff’s office.
After the county seat was moved to Bryan in 1840, the courthouse was converted into a private residence. In 1909, the historic building was sold to the U.S. government. It was razed circa 1912 to make room for an addition to the Defiance Post Office, which still occupies the site.
This colorized circa 1911 vintage image of the first Williams County courthouse is courtesy of the Defiance Public Library.
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