​​​​​​Former Peel County Courthouse (1-3 Wellington Street East)

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Built in 1867 and designed by William Kauffmann, the former Peel County Courthouse is one of the most distinguished buildings in Downtown Brampton. The courthouse also reflects the establishment of Brampton as the seat of the County of Peel in 1867.

The building had two main functions. In the Courtroom, people came to trial. If guilty, they went to the Peel County Jail to serve time. In the Council Chambers, Peel County Council met to discuss local issues.

The courthouse was built in the Italianate style, and is sometimes referred to as Venetian Gothic. Its architectural style, its location on a hill and its tall windows serve to create the illusion of a much larger structure that is imposing, grand and formal, all of which subscribes to the widely held Victorian theory that the appearance should convey something of the interior use.

Today, the former courthouse forms part of the Peel Art Gallery, Museum + Archives (PAMA), which collects, tells and shares the stories of Peel Region.

For more information, check out the former courthouse, jail and land registry office that form PAMA, and the award-winning restoration and construction project that brought new life to the facility.