and since that
time, only two Assistant Judges have been appointed. Until the
alteration of the constitution, in 1850, t^iese with other Couniy Offi-
20 UISTOPwY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
cers "were appointed by the Legislature. The Court continued to be
held at Addison until the September term 1792. At their October
session in 1791, the Legislature passed an act removing the Court
to Middleburj, but providing that it should not take effect until
'•April next," and of course the March term 1792 was held at
Addison. Since that time the Courts have been uniformly held at
Middlebury.
There were no County buildings in Addison, and the Court held
its sessions at the houses of Benjamin Paine at Chimney Point,
of Zadock EvEiiasT, Esq., of Jonah Case, and of his widow after
his decease, all on the shore of Lake Champlain. The Courtswere
also held for some time at public houses in Middlebury ; in the
years 1792 and 1793 at the public house of John Deming, which
stood on the ground now occupied by the Congregational Church;
and afterwards until the Court House Avas completed, at the public
house of Samuel Mattocks. The first Court House was com-
menced in Middlebury in 1796, but was not occupied by the Court
until 1798. It was built by subscription of the citizens of Middle-
bury and vicinity. The jail had been previously built.
Hon. Gamaliel Painter, who owned a large tract of land on
the cast side of Middlebury Falls, on the second day of May 1791,
and previous to the removal of the Courts to that place, executed to
" John Willard, Benjamin Gorton and Jabez Rogers, together
with all the rest of