Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-11-17
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE
ON HOUSE BILL NO. 126, REL
ALIVE TO THE CHANGE
FSHIREIN ORLEANS
COUNTY.

The Committee on House Bill No. 1875,
entitled can Act for changing the Shire
Town of Orleans County, respectfully re-
! port that they have considered the same,
and pursuant to a resolution in that be-
half, they visited the present shire town,
Irasburgh, on the Goth of October, 1884
They heard the citizens of Newport, Bar
| ton Landing, Irasburgh and Barton in re-
| gard to the bill, and inspected the county
| buildings at Irasburgh. The Court House
was erected in 1S4T, is a wooden struc-
ture with underpinning Of stone; it has
no cellar, but there is a shallow excava-
| tion under the bottom, and here and
there the stone have fallen down and have
| not been replaced because the gaps adj
nit circulation ofair under the building,
thereby preserving the stills from rotting.
On the ground floor are five rooms one
of which is used for a woodshed and one
for the County Clerk, and occasionally as
Probate Office. The floor throughout
has sagged and there is difficulty in shut
ting the front door of the building on ac-
count of the unevenneSS of the floor.
The upper floor is divided into three
rooms, two small ante-rooms and the
court room. The court room had been
newly white-washed and papered The
building is small and the accommodations
inferior
The jail, which is near the Court House,
is of stone and in front of and connected
with it is the jailor's house. The lower
part Of the Jail is dungeon, having the
cells against the wall on the southerly
side, damp, deathly and dark; light and
air are admitted by hole in the cell door,
and slit in the stone in the rear.
The atmosphere is stagnant and chilly.
The upper story of the Jail is divided by
partitions into one large, and five smaller
apartments the windows are badly de-
castings loose.
The arrangement for safe custody APP
peared sufficient but it did not appear
how the building could be kept warm
without considerable immediate outlay
for repairs. The amount expended by
the county upon the county buildings
since 1876 is $99S.5O.
From their examination of the premises
the Committee is Of the opinion that the
public good and the convenience and ne
| cessity OF the inhabitants of Orleans
county, and others who have business at
the county seat, require the erection of a
new Court House now.
The IMMEDIATE erection of a new jail is
demanded by considerations of economy,
humanity and duty.
The general opinion Of those citizens OF
the county who appeared before the Com
mittee was that whenever new County
buildings were erected it must be upon
the line of the railroad.
The act by which Irasburgh was Gre
ated the County seat provides ''as soon
as the proprietors or inhabitants of Iras-
burgh shall erect and build a good and
sufficient court house and JAIL" at any
time within four years from the passing
of this act, agreeably to a plan to be
given by the judges of the Supreme
Court, and to their acceptance finished
and completed, the Supreme and County
Courts within and for said county, shall
forever thereafter be holden in said town
of Irasburgh." Laws of 1912, p. &C.
A deed of the land where the county
buildings now ale was taken on the 18th
day of July, 1916, purporting to convey
the same Sin compliance with the act O
the legislature of the state, passed the
9th day of October, 1912, entitled al
Act Establishing the County Building
and County Grammar School in Orleans
County," Said conveyance is to eth
treasurer of the county of Orleans, for tn
time being, and to his successors in office
to and for the use and benefit of sal,
county"
5 County buildings were erected and al
: wards removed and the present building
put up in 1S47, and '6l and '62 respective
:, ly, at the expense of the county.
Irasburgh and its citizens have expent
ed considerable money upon a hott
i building with the accommodations a
II forded by which some fault was found t
: the committee. There is a telephone lin
4 from Irasburgh to Barton Landing, whel
there is telegraph office.
The probate office was removed frol
/ Irasburgh to Barton Landing two year
: ago, and most of the probate bushes
# the more convenient and satisfactory l.
r cation.
The question of a change of the shi
has been the prominent feature in Orleal
- county politics at different times, and bill
y for that purpose have been introduced
g prior sessions of the general assemb
,o and defeated. This result has been larg
, ly due to the rivalry between the thr
large villages on the railroad, Newpol
o Barton Landing, and Barton, and the il
e practicability of any harmonious acti
a. for the removal to any designated loo
v. ton.
to The large towns, Newport, Troy, Dc
by and Barton are on the railroad.
~ Their population (1SS0,) $500; gra
ne list O8S3) aggregating Sal, sos, the to
&c population of the county is 22,0S3. Ora
a. list 800, O89.
he Those towns which would naturally
"a better accommodated at Irasburgh tn
on the railroad are Albany, Craftsbul
''' Westfield, and Irasbnrgh. Their pol
is lation in 1880 was 1888; grand list
1888, $21, 513.
All the other towns would be as well
L. better accommodated upon the railro
Their population in 1880 was 1917
grand list of 1888, S73, 576.
The railroad villages of Newport, B
ton Landing, and Barton, have sever;
local markets, and advantages for trad
that constitute them business centers
places where the citizens of the cou
. resort frequently at all times of the We
At Irasburgh there is no local mar
or particular industry to make the will
a center of attraction for the county as
Il from the courts; and it's position upo
hill rather difficult of access at cert
seasons, and the meagre accommodate