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County historian traces Madison County courthouse history, describes 1864 arson and later relocations
Summary
Madison County historian Matt Ertz presented a condensed history of the county courthouses, recounting early court locations, an 1864 courthouse fire blamed on the Loomis gang, and the eventual relocation to Wampsville where the current courthouse opened in 1910.
Matt Ertz, the county historian, provided supervisors a brief account of Madison County’s courthouse history at the Feb. 4 meeting, highlighting early court locations, an 1864 arson that destroyed a courthouse and the eventual decision to build the current Wampsville courthouse that opened in 1910.
Ertz traced the county’s court proceedings from 1806 — when initial court sittings were held in local facilities in what was then the town of Sullivan (now part of Lenox) — through subsequent courthouse constructions. He said the county built its first formal courthouse in 1810 and later in 1849; that 1849 courthouse was destroyed in an Oct. 1864 fire. Contemporary reporting and later research attributed deliberate destruction of fire hoses and missing court records to an incendiary act, Ertz said, noting press accounts that later connected the destruction to the Loomis gang.
Ertz detailed interim responses after the fire, including delayed court proceedings and a county committee’s decision to rebuild on the old foundation. He described multiple later efforts and community contests to relocate the county seat, with towns including Canastota, Casanova, Earlville, Morrisville, Oneida and Wampsville offering bids. The board’s eventual decision to locate the courthouse in Wampsville followed a late-19th century public vote and land donation from local landowner John Wesley Cole.
The current courthouse and adjacent jail were built in the early 20th century; Ertz described architectural choices, the laying of the cornerstone in 1908 with thousands attending, and later preservation and renovation work completed roughly six years ago. He said some historic records were singed or lost from the 1864 event but that most county records survived because many were stored in the county clerk’s office rather than the courthouse.
Ertz’s presentation was informational; the board asked a few follow-up questions and thanked him for the historical overview. No board action followed the presentation.
