The L’Orignal Jail and Courthouse is celebrating 200 years in operation as a courthouse this year.
The building is significant for a couple of reasons. It is the oldest building standing in the United Counties of Prescott-Russell, Ontario’s most eastern county, which is now largely Francophone. And the courthouse and the jail are also the oldest court and jail in all of Ontario.
The courthouse still functions as a courthouse. The jail closed only 26 years ago and is now a museum, the L’Orignal Old Jail.
CJRO spoke with Louise Bedard, president of the L’Orignal Old Jail museum, who told a bit of the past of the historic building and discussed the tourism plans for this summer.
