Sale of 399 Ridout Street to York Developments

December 10, 2019

Members of Middlesex County Council

Re: Sale of 399 Ridout Street to York Developments

Dear Warden Burghardt-Jesson and County Councillors:

Although Middlesex County has been an admirable steward of the building known as the Old Courthouse since receiving it from the Province of Ontario in 1979, ACO London believes the pending sale of the property to York Developments is entirely inappropriate.

I wish to point our certain facts about the Old Courthouse:

  • There would be no London without this building. When the London District Jail and Court House at Vittoria, Norfolk County, burned in 1825, it was decided by the province that the Forks of the Thames would be the new administrative and legal centre of the London District. The building was completed, in its earliest form, in 1829. The building is an early example of the Gothic Revival style, pre-dating the earliest important Gothic Revival public building in Britain, the House of Parliament (1840-1865). It was designed by early Canadian architect John Ewart who also designed Osgoode Hall.

  • This has been a national historic site since 1955, in recognition of its importance to all of Canada, not just London and Middlesex.

  • It was the site of the Donnelly trials, numerous hangings, and unknown suffering in the jail cells. We can be certain that bodies are buried below the parking lot at rear.

Who would sell such a place to a developer?

While I am aware that the Old Courthouse is protected by a City of London heritage designation and an Ontario Heritage Trust Easement, I am still concerned about its future. It the county vacates the building in four years, how will York Developments use this historic site? What changes to the interior will be deemed necessary? What happens to its parklike setting? How can such a building be reused in a way that is respectful of its past?

I also understand that the county, like any government body, requires infrastructure funds. However, the only appropriate owner of the Old Courthouse, other than Middlesex County, is the City of London. Once a building is in public hands, it should remain so.

Please consider delaying the sale to York Developments and reopening negotiations with the City of London. This is not just any building. This is the building.

Sincerely

Jennifer Grainger
President, London Region Branch, Architectural Conservancy Ontario

Marty Peterson