Originally St. Catharines’ Town Hall, the former Lincoln County Courthouse housed the city’s mid-19th-century government, municipal and judicial services including prisoners’ cells. Today the city leases the building to several commercial and arts-related tenants. Based on Toten Sims Hubicki & Associates’ earlier condition assessment, restoration would involve structural roof repairs, partial slate re-roofing, masonry re-pointing, roof stabilization and clock tower repairs. Given the sensitive nature of the restoration, we performed the field review for TSH.

The truss ends of the roof structure – severely deteriorated from water penetration – were repaired with galvanized steel channel reinforcement before replacing the roof slates. Lead coated copper flashings protected the trusses at eaves and gutters. The bell/clock tower was renewed with a new copper dome and lead-coated copper floor. Openings were pigeon-proofed with copper screening. Surfaces were renewed, clocks were replicated from the original patterns and masonry was cleaned using the non-destructive Jos system. The original iron 1849 weather vane was removed, cleaned, painted with rust inhibitive paint, lubricated and reinstalled.

The city requested the 1879 limestone Oille Fountain on the same site be renewed. In the ‘70s, it was covered with a cementitious coating and painted. The limestone was dressed back and the original appearance renewed. Several Dutchman repairs returned original detail. The original inscription was cut into the newly exposed limestone face and the fountain was reinstalled on its original base. The exterior restoration included foundation repair, masonry re-pointing and cleaning, window restoration and landscaping. In 2001, a detailed investigation determined future work. Foundations were exposed by excavation in three representative locations. A structural audit and strengthening dealt with contemporary assembly loading, and Phase II involved foundation stabilization, masonry repair and re-pointing, and window and door restoration.