Rainy River District, which is named for the Rainy River which flows along the southern boundary.
Surrounding Courthouses:
N – Kenora District
S – Minnesota
W – Minnesota and Kenora District
Created: 1885 
District Seat:
Fort Francis 1885 – present
Courthouse – Fort Frances
Location: 333 Church Street / Portage Avenue
Built: 1913 – 1914
Style: Edwardian
Architect: Frank Riley Heakes of Toronto
Contractor: Allan G Seaman and E G Penniman of Fort William (Thunder Bay)
Description: The building faces north and is a two story red coloured brick, stone and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Fort Francis. The building is a “T” shape resting on a plinth of stone and foundation of cement. The north front has a small stone portico at the central entrance. There is a stone belt between the first and second stories and stone is used in the sill and heads of the windows and doors. The roof has two attic dormers on each side of the building and a central white coloured cupola. The roof is hipped. In the interior, the corridor runs the width of the building. The courtroom is located on the first story at the rear of the building on the south side. The courtroom when built was two stories high with a glass domed ceiling. The building houses the Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice. The plaster coat of arms was executed by William J Hynes of Toronto. Berlin Interiors Hardware Company supplied the furnishings, and Ontario Art Brass Company of Toronto supplied the electrical fixtures. The superintendent during construction was A F Scott of Fort Frances. The building was altered in 1929 and remodeled in 1952.
See: The architect, Frank Riley Heakes of Toronto, was chief architect for the Ontario Department of Public Works and he designed courthouses in Algoma District, Cochrane District, Kenora District, Muskoka District Municipality, Sudbury District, Thunder Bay District and Timiskaming District.
History: The district was created in 1885 and Fort Francis was selected as the district seat. In 1907 to 1908 an jail was constructed in Fort Francis. A temporary courtroom was housed in the Town Hall. The first and present courthouse was constructed in 1913 to 1914 at a cost of $54,719.
Other Branch Courthouses
Atikokan / Rainy River
Courthouse – Fort Francis
Photos taken 2011