L'Orignal Courthouse
Since 1994, the Ontario Court of Justice has sat in criminal and penal matters in one of L’Orignal’s oldest buildings at the corner of King and Court streets.
L’Orignal Old Jail
With its orange roof and beautiful dome, this unique Loyalist neoclassical style building is the most significant for the village of L’Orignal. Indeed, this heritage complex is the oldest courthouse in Ontario that is still in operation. It is also one of the few examples of buildings that housed the local government before the 1849 Municipal Act. The site has been an important witness to all stages of regional government and the evolution of the justice system in Ontario since 1825, almost two centuries.
L’Orignal Old Jail is the oldest prison in Ontario and the second oldest in Canada. During its years of operation, more than 500 prisoners were incarcerated there, five men were executed by hanging and several prisoners managed to escape.
More history, please!
Contact us if you would like to learn more! Arrangements can be made to visit the archives stored at the L’Orignal Old Jail.
Also, if you have information you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you!