The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
CELEBRATING, TEACHING HISTORY
The history of theMadison County Courthouse is long and storied — but come Saturday, residents can learn it all and in-depth.
“Before the construction, you have to understand the history of what our courthouses were,” Madison CountyHistorian Matthew Urtz said. “Madison County was formed in the spring of 1806. In June 1806, we [Madison County] hosted our first court session in what today is the town of Lenox. In October, a second session was held in a schoolhouse in Hamilton. By 1810, Madison County built a formal courthouse in Cazenovia.”
With the Madison County Courthouse renovations finished, all that’s left is to celebrate the history. At the Cazenovia Library, Urtz spoke to a crowd of Madison County residents about just how the courthouse was founded and the history leading up to the renovation.
“We’re going to go to the open house and thought this would be a better introduction to the courthouse history,” Judy Buyea, of DeRuyter, said when asked why she and her husband Barry attended. “We’re excited about it.”
The Madison County Courthouse will host an open house and tours throughout the day onMay 25, kicking off with the WAVEM committee hosting a Memorial Day ceremony at 11 a.m.
“I don’t think I knew anything about the courthouse going it,” Barry said. “I thought the original courthouse was just in Morrisville. I didn’t know it was in Cazenovia.”
Urtz said in 1817, Madison County wanted to move the courthouse closer to the center of the county and a new one was built in Morrisville; however, that
“Madison Countywas formed in the springof 1806. InJune 1806, we [Madison County] hosted our first court session inwhat today is the town of Lenox. InOctober, a second session was held in a schoolhouse inHamilton. By 1810, MadisonCountybuilt a formal courthouse in Cazenovia.”
— Madison County Historian Matthew Urtz
one burnt down and it is believed the infamous horsethieving Loomis Gang was responsible.
While there was no evidence to prove it was the Loomis Gang, Urtz said it is a widely held rumor of the time. “The hoses on the fire equipment were cut,” Urtz said. “And one of the Loomises was on site helping the bucket brigade put out the building.”
With the courthouse having burnt down, Urtz said the great debate for the new courthouse began in the late 19th century.
“Madison County had a weighted voted system that means the population density of a town controls the amount of votes you get,” Urtz said. “And this still rings reasonably true today. The northern county has an advantage and when it went to vote in 1907, 10 of the 16 towns of Madison County vote against moving the courthouse to Wampsville; however, it won because the north won the vote and the courthouse moved.”
Many towns made a pitch to have the courthouse in their town, Urtz said, including Cazenovia, Oneida, Canastota, Morrisville, Earlville and Wampsville.
“They all presented why they should get the courthouse,” Urtz said. “Morrisville made the pitch that it was in the center, Cazenovia had it before and Oneida and Canastota felt they were important. Oneida pitched that they were the only city and the city should get it. In the end, they [Oneida and Canastota] decided to break even and put it in the middle.”
Urtz asked the crowd why the courthouse faces north, since he always gets a different answer.
“A lot of people say it faces north as to not favor Canastota or Oneida,” Urtz said. “That’s not true. The railroad tracks were north and it made sense to have it facing the railroad. Though somebody once said to me it’s facing north because it’s ‘mooning’ Morrisville. That’s just mean.”
Urtz invited everyone to attend the Madison County Courthouse open house on May 25, as it’ll be the only day residents can see inside the court without having business there.
One of the things taken into account for the renovations, Urtz said, was the preservation of historic value. Throughout the courthouse, from the original doorknobs and doors, to the choices in paint were all considered to keep the history of the courthouse.
“I think too much of our history has been lost to the past,” Barry said. “It’s time we stay with our ancestors and upbringing.”
“It can’t be taken away from us if it’s restored,” Judy said. “There’s a lot of things that change in our lives, but if our history is restored and kept for us, it can’t be taken.”
Guided tours at the courthouse will begin at 2 p.m. and start every 15 minutes until 5 p.m. Tours will take approximately one hour. To avoid lines and get a guaranteed spot, visit the Madison County website and sign up for a time slot. For questions or more information, email courthousecelebration@ madisoncounty.ny.gov.
A full day of scheduled events and more details regarding vendors and tours are available on the Madison County website at www.madisoncounty. ny.gov/2337/CourthouseCommemoration.