To the southeast of downtown Liverpool, the Queens County Courthouse was built in a predominantly residential neighborhood, on Church Street at Court Street. The Greek Revival façade is a sure indication of the mature of the building - no sign is needed in order that people find the courthouse. In fact, the only signage of any sort on the façade is the bronze
Provincial Heritage Property plaque.
In June of 2015 the province's lease on the building expired and was not renewed. The province had leased the building for court sessions about four times per month but budget cuts have forced consolidation of its satellite courthouses, with several courthouses no longer being used for provincial court sessions. At present the building's future is not clear, but the town will no doubt create an alternative use for it. Read a
news story on the courthouse's closure.
In 1984 the courthouse was the scene of a precedent setting trial which led to the publication of the widely read book "Life With Billy" and
the movie of the same name.
Court will no longer be held
in Liverpool after provincial budget cuts
Brittany W. Verge
Published on April 13, 2015
LIVERPOOL - For the first time since the colonial period, court will no longer sit in Liverpool.
The historic courthouse was built in 1854. The building is owned by the Region of Queens Municipality and leased every year by the province of Nova Scotia.
As a part of the 2015 budget, the province is consolidating its satellite courthouses and will not be renewing its lease with the Region of Queens.
Michelle Lucas, a media contact for the Department of Justice, says that closures will save the province $482,000 in total. The cost savings from closing Liverpool’s courthouse is approximately $92,680 annually.
Court sessions are held approximately four times a month in Liverpool and the courthouse has no full-time staff. There will be no job losses as a result; all sessions will be moved to Bridgewater.
Mayor Christopher Clarke says that the lease for the courthouse expires at the end of June and he’s unsure if the province will stop using the building prior to that.
Clarke says that the region does not yet know what it will do with the 161-year-old building.
“It’s too important a building to the heritage of Liverpool not to be given important use,” says Clarke.
The courthouse is a rare example of “Greek revival temple style” architecture. The front pillars are made of wood but covered in stucco to create a stone façade.
The courthouse was built to replace one in Liverpool that dated back to 1790. Joseph Howe gave a speech from the steps of the building in 1867.
From the Queens County Advence