Tom Potts Gives Keynote Speech to Tiffin Historic Trust

Advertiser Tribune, Tiffin OH | May 27, 2016

The architect for the proposed joint justice center told members of the Tiffin Historic Trust he understood how important the courthouse was to the community, during the organization’s annual membership and awards dinner meeting Thursday.

In his keynote speech focused on design choices made during planning of the facility, Tom Potts of Silling Associates said a courthouse always is a significant building for a community, noting specifically Seneca County’s history with the 1884 Seneca County Courthouse.

“The courthouse is the most significant building, typically, for the entire community,” he said.

“It is a tremendous responsibility to take on, when you think that there’s probably not a person in this room who doesn’t understand how passionate people can be about their courthouse – especially given when you lose one as significant as the one you lost.”

Potts said the relationship of a community to its court often is personal.

“These buildings become facilities that people become connected to emotionally,” he said. “So when I think about that, that is a tremendous responsibility to take on, to design something so significantly iconic for the community.

He said he and his colleagues knew the value of a structure such as the proposed joint justice center.

“It seems to me that when you walk into a community that doesn’t have a significant courthouse presence, it seems to be lacking something,” he said.

“So we don’t take it lightly at all. Approaching the design of the joint justice center here in Tiffin is something my firm and I take very seriously.”

After Potts’ presentation, the trust gave out its annual awards.