There is simply no way to put a good “spin” on yesterday’s news from Tiffin. As today’s Toledo Blade declares… “It hit No. 1 on Preservation Ohio's list of most endangered historic sites, and the Seneca County Courthouse is living up to that ranking. County commissioners voted 2-1 yesterday to move forward with razing the shuttered 1884 courthouse in downtown Tiffin by having a consultant put together bid specifications for demolition contractors.”

Yes, this is an architecturally significant structure that deserved a better fate, but consider what else was at stake in this decision. Not only will this be this the first 19th century Ohio county courthouse lost in a generation, but it also sets a terrible precedent by ignoring the impact that demolition will have on the revitalization of a downtown and community. Loss of the courthouse will serve as a powerful disincentive for investment in a center city full of period commercial buildings – at the precise time when reinvestment is critical to guarantee their long-term survival. Because it is what makes a community unique that also makes it marketable, the resulting decline of downtown Tiffin will have a negative impact on economic development for decades to come.

Photo: Seneca County Courthouse, Tiffin/Preservation Ohio File Photo