Elgin County Courthouse

The Elgin County Courthouse was one of the first courthouses ever built in Ontario. A prominent historical landmark in St. Thomas, the facility was expanded in order to consolidate the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice into one modern facility. The expanded courthouse, opened in March 2014, was certified LEED® Gold by the Canada Green Building Council.

As the Heritage Conservation Architects to NORR, EVOQ’s mandate was to restore and rehabilitate the Palladian-style St. Thomas courthouse (c.1852-1899) and the adjacent land registry office (c.1874-1898). The exterior work included restoration of the masonry walls, wood and metal windows and doors as well as replacement of the slate and copper roofs. Interiors were extensively refurbished to restore the woodwork, stained glass, plaster and historic artifacts and furniture.

The rehabilitation also included the careful integration of modern system requirements throughout the heritage fabric of the building. The entrance of the historic courthouse now serves as the main entrance to the expanded facility and incorporates modifications to meet barrier-free access requirements without significantly altering its heritage character.