HISTORY OF THE CARROLL COUNTY COURTHOUSE

It was 1839 when the State Legislature decided that northern Strafford County needed a courthouse.  At the time, Carroll County did not exist, so residents of Ossipee and the area towns had to travel to Dover to the Strafford County Court for trial and other court-related business.

But, in 1839, Ossipee was well-represented in the New Hampshire Legislature by Asa Beacham, an entrepreneur with a bold vision for Ossipee=s future.  It was late on a Saturday afternoon when that legislature voted to build a new courthouse, location to be discussed at the next session.  Beacham left Concord and urgently returned to Ossipee by horse and carriage, a long and difficult journey, especially in the darkness of night.

Over the weekend, Beacham set about implementing his vision, which included securing construction of the new courthouse for Ossipee.  He contacted the town=s most prominent citizens, asking for pledges of money toward the costs of construction, convinced that this could determine where the new building would be located.

He returned to Concord in time for Monday@s legislative session armed with pledges of $595 (which soon was increased to $850) and the donation of land for the site.  Brackett Wiggin offered a plot of land adjacent to his new store at Ossipee Corner.

With such strong backing from the local community, Ossipee was designated as the location for the new courthouse.

The original 40' x by 64' structure resembled a New England Meeting House, complete with a tower and a bell.  It was ready for use in 1840, the same year that the legislature created Carroll County and, in 1841,designated Ossipee as the county seat, thanks in no small way to the ongoing efforts of Asa Beacham.  In 1856 and 1887, brick wings were added to the building to provide needed office space and a fire-resistant place for the storage of the court=s records.

Beacham=s vision slowly came true.  The courthouse attracted lawyers and other professionals, including doctors and businessmen, to the area.  Inns and small hotels sprung up, and the proximity of the court helped to advance several Ossipee residents into county positions, including treasurer, county solicitor and registrar of probate. Loammi Hardy would serve an amazing 30 terms as registrar of deeds.  Ossipee became a place of considerable importance in northern New Hampshire. When the Oine River Bank opened in 1857, Asa Beacham was a member of the board of directors, as well as a stockholder.

But in 1915, a great fire swept through Ossipee Corner, destroying the courthouse and most of the buildings on the south side of the village.  It was a devastating blow.  The legislature, however, appropriated funding for construction of a new building on the site of the original one.  Albert H. Dow of Tuftonboro was selected as the architect, and the magnificent courthouse he designed stands today, virtually unchanged.  It is on the New Hampshire Registry of Historic Buildings, and an application is pending to have it placed on the National Registry.

Construction began almost immediately and was completed in time for the winter session (December) of the Carroll County Superior Court in 1916 and the murder trial of Frederick L. Small, who was accused and subsequently convicted of the killing his wife on September 28^th of that year. Small was hanged for this crime in 1918.