The Old Courthouse Restaurant opened in February of 2004
The building in which our restaurant is located, was built in 1826 to house the Superior Court for Sullivan County when it split away from Cheshire County.
During the period between 1826 and 1873, it was used as both a courtroom and a public meeting space.
In 1874, the building was deeded to the town and became the site of the local grammar school and high school. As the town expanded, the school population became too great for the building.
In 1896, the building was given over to the Grange which had possession of the building for the next 80 years. During this time, the building fell into disrepair and was not properly maintained.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the town entertained the idea of tearing down the court house to expand the parking lot for the Opera House and Town Offices.
Thankfully, the building was saved and put on the National Register of Historical Places in 1973. In 1974, the town completed a major renovation of the building to prepare it as a district court building.
It remained the district court until May of 2003 when the court moved to the former Citizen’s Bank building on Main Street.
Today, the building houses Newport’s Historical Society museum on the second floor while the first floor has been converted into the Old Courthouse restaurant.
