Through the passage of an act by
the General Assembly of 1696, the justices of the county were authorized
to purchase three acres of land to provide for a courthouse.
According to records, land was purchased on the north shore of the Chester River for the fair value of 2,000 pounds of
tobacco. Although the date of completion is not known, the courthouse
is believed to have been used before March 23, 1697/8.
The courthouse did not survive long
and records indicate it was destroyed by arson around 1720.
The courthouse was rebuilt in 1720-1721 and used until the middle of the
century. Due to growth in population and business, and the dilapidated
condition of the present courthouse, the justices petitioned the General
Assembly for funds to repair or enlarge the courthouse. An act was
passed at the session of 1750 authorizing 50,000 pounds of tobacco for
this purpose.
 There
were additional enlargements, additions, and repairs to the courthouse
until in 1860 an act was passed to take down the present Courthouse and
build a new courthouse on the Public Square in Chestertown. A bond
in the amount of $12,000 was issued and the new courthouse was erected
on the site where it exists today. The 1860 facade was retained when
the courthouse was remodeled and enlarged in 1937.
|
