The Vernon Courthouse has served as a reliable landmark for both residents and newcomers for more than a century. This grand building is not, however, the first of its kind in our community — it is the second. In 1892, Vernon’s first courthouse was built at the intersection of Barnard (30th) and Coldstream Avenue, and from the time of its construction all the way to its demolition some 80 years later, it donned several hats and consistently remained a functional centre point of our city.
In the end, it oversaw the pronounced development of our city into the modern state we recognize today. Our first courthouse drew rapt attention right from its birth, as it was the first permanent brick provincial building erected in the Interior. It stood two storeys tall and measured 54-by-47 feet, and it came into existence thanks to the work of architect A.
M. Muir from Victoria and contractor Mark Hyatt (not to mention the labourers themselves). Muir’s plans included such features as government official offices, a judge’s room and plenty of closets on the first floor, and the court room on the second.
The Vernon News reported that “the general appearance of the building, according to the plans, will be neat and substantial.” On Aug. 1, 1892, construction officially kicked off with a cornerstone-laying ceremony.
Rosie Dewdney, daughter of well-known banker Ted Dewdney, performed several celebratory procedures to highlight the momentous event. One such procedure involved placing.