Coshocton County, Ohio

Founding: April 1, 1811
Parent counties: Muskingum and Tuscarawas

Namesake: The city of Coshocton
Seat: Coshocton (1811–)

Land area: 564 square miles

Population (2010): 36,901

Population (historic): 7,086 (1820); 25,674 (1850); 26,642 (1880); 28,976 (1930)

Periods of population growth: 1810–1850; 1870s; 1890s; 1970s

Subdivisions: One city; five villages; two CDPs; 22 townships

National Register listings: 19

Income (per capita): $19,635

Income (median household): $39,469
Business establishments: 638 (57.8 people per business)
Pre-1939 residences (estimated): 5,302 (32.2%)
Vacant houses: 1,881 (11.4%)
Sources of settlement: Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ireland, Maryland, and Germany

Coshocton

Naming: The Lenape word koshaxkink, likely a reference to the nearby Walhonding–Tuscarawas confluence

Founding: 1802 (platting, as Tuscarawas); 1811 (post office)

Population (2010): 11,216

Population (historic): 333 (1830); 1,151 (1860); 6,473 (1900); 10,908 (1930)

Periods of population growth: 1830–1920; 1950s
Typology: Grid (with central courthouse square)

Courthouse Prehistory

- Between 1811 and 1824, Coshocton County officials met in buildings owned by Charles Williams and Wilson McGowan.

First Courthouse

Location: Public Square (Coshocton)

Construction: 1823–1824

Years of service: 1824–1873

Typology: Cubic; brick; two-story

Style: Federal

Builders: Charles Williams et al.

Cost: $1,984 ($44,932 in 2017 dollars)

Status: Razed

Features of note: Octagonal central cupola; three-bay facade; entry with fanlight.

For a photo, see this page.

Second Courthouse

Photo by Nyttend.

Location: 318 Main Street (Coshocton)

Construction: 1873–1875

Years of service: 1875–

Typology: Axial; brick; two-and-a-half-story (with elevated basement)

Style: Second Empire

Architects: Carpenter and Williams

Cost: $100,000 ($2,267,763 in 2017 dollars)

Status: Extant; functional

Features of note: Octagonal cupola; concave mansard roof; ornate dormers; denticulate entablature; modillions; projecting central bay; quoins; round-arched windows with stone hoodmolds and keystones; segmental-arched entry.


Sources: Wikipedia; Courthouse History; United States Census Bureau; History of Coshocton County, Ohio (Graham, 1881).