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  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Mission
    • Membership
    • Speakers
    • Contact
  • Exhibitions
    • Permanent Exhibits
    • Past Exhibits
    • New Exhibits 2021
  • History
    • Historic Sites
    • Historic Preservation Awards
    • Movin' Energy
    • D & H Canal Park at Lock 31
    • Historical Links
  • Museums
    • Main Museum
    • Bethel School
    • D & H Canal Park at Lock 31
    • Old Stone Jail
    • J.B. Park Farm Museum
    • Adam Jubinsky Building
  • Happenings
    • Calendar
    • News
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    • Research Library
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    • Vital Records
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    • Township Histories
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The Wayne County Courthouse

The Wayne County CourthouseCourt Street The first county courthouse was in Bethany, the county seat from 1800 to 1841. During the legislative sessions of 1840-41, Senator Ebenezer Kingsbury quietly secured the passage of an act for removal. Honesdale became the county seat and on May 4, 1841 the county commissioners accepted a plot of land opposite the public square for the county buildings. The land was a joint gift of the Jason Torrey estate and the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company. In 1843 a wooden courthouse was erected by Charles Jamison and the first courts were held there in September of that year. Within a few years a brick building known as "the fireproof' for the county offices was erected next to the courthouse. After many years of discussion of the need for a new building, the commissioners adopted a resolution to begin construction in 1876. J.A. Wood of New York was selected as architect and the massive stone walls of the foundation were begun. During the next two years, little progress was made on the structure as the local powers were entangled in what was known as "The Courthouse Wars." Taxpayer anger, as well as legal, financial and political disputes erupted. In 1879 the commissioners resolved to complete the building and hired A.S. Phillips of Berwick to finish the courthouse. By 1880, at a cost of $130,000, the new courthouse was a reality. What seemed an extravagance in the 1870s resulted in a courthouse that is the source of immense pride to county residents today. ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: SECOND EMPIRE Historic Preservation Award given in 1993 to County of Wayne for their exterior reservation of this property.

This page was one month of the calendar and was made possible through the Wayne County Commissioners and a Tourism Promotion Committee’s Tourism Grant.

 

 

 

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D & H Canal Park at Lock 31
The D&H Canal Park at Lock 31 has 16 beautiful acres to explore. The site features the historic…
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Historic Preservation Awards
The Wayne County Historical Society may give recognition on an annual basis to individuals,…
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Historic Sites
About the Wayne County Historical Society
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Historical Links
Historical Links
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Movin' Energy
Movin' Energy: The History of the Delaware and Hudson Canal 1828-1898 exhibit is housed in the 1993…
News and Events
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Towpath Guided Walk May 13, 2023
May 13, 2023, 10:00 AM
Come and learn about the history of Lock 31 and the D&H Canal at 10:00 a.m., on May 13, 2023.…
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Canal Boat Pavilion Grand Opening Dinner Walk June 17, 2023
Jun 17, 2023, 6:00 AM
The event at D& H Canal Park at Lock 31 will be able to showcase the completed replica canal…
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Wayne County’s canal boat replica to be named after Clinton Leet
Aug 19, 2023, 10:00 AM
The Wayne County Historical Society is planning its 10th annual Canal Festival for August 19, 2023.…

About us   

Welcome to the Wayne County Historical Society, home of the full-size replica of the Stourbridge Lion, the first locomotive to run on commercial track in the United States.

Our main museum and museum shop are housed in a building built in 1860 as headquarters of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company....click here for more information.

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Calendar
Calendar of Events at Wayne County Historical Society
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News
News the Wayne County Historical Society

Historic Sites

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The Poor Farm
Berlin Township In 1863 Texas Township and Honesdale Borough purchased a…
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Deegan Tower Chimes
Historic Preservation Award given in 1998 to Lacawac Sanctuary Foundation…

Research Library

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Genealogy in Wayne County
Genealogical records WCHS Research Library at 810 Main Street, Honesdale…
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Historic Topics
Research materials at the WCHS Research Library, your best source for the…

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