The Houghton County Courthouse is a government building located at 401 E. Houghton Street in

Houghton, Michigan Houghton (; ) is the largest city and seat of government of Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, Houghton is the largest city in the Copper Country region. It is the fifth-largest city in the Uppe ...

. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1974 and placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1975.

History

Houghton County, Michigan Houghton County is a county in the Upper Peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 37,361. The county seat and largest city is Houghton. Both the county and the city were named for Michigan State geolog ...

was first organized in 1845; at the time it covered the entire

Keweenaw Peninsula The Keweenaw Peninsula ( , sometimes locally ) is the northernmost part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States, leading to its moniker of "Copper Country." As o ...

, with Eagle River as the county seat. In 1861, the county was split in two, with the northern part of the Keweenaw, including Eagle River, forming

Keweenaw County Keweenaw County (, ; , ) is a county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, the state's northernmost county. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 2,046, making it Michigan's least populous county. It is also the ...

and the southern part remaining Houghton County. The village of Houghton was designated the county seat, and a frame structure was erected in 1862 to serve as the courthouse. However, the booming copper industry in the Keweenaw quickly swelled the populace of Houghton County, and a new courthouse was planned to demonstrate the area's prosperity. The county hired Marquette architect J. B. Sweatt to design the courthouse, which was built on the site of the older courthouse at a cost of $75,568.00. The cornerstone, with a miner's coat of arms, was laid on July 24, 1886, and the new courthouse was dedicated on July 28, 1887. The section of the courthouse containing the jail was condemned in the 1960s, and an additional building to replace it was constructed nearby. Extensive restoration of the courthouse was performed in the 1970s and later in 2003-2004, and the building continues to house government offices.

Description

The Houghton County Courthouse is an asymmetrical -story brick-and-sandstone structure with a mansard roof, designed primarily in an interpretation of

Second Empire style Second Empire style, also known as the Napoleon III style, is a highly eclectic style of architecture and decorative arts, which uses elements of many different historical styles, and also made innovative use of modern materials, such as i ...

, but with elements of other styles included. Sweatt made use of local materials in his design of the courthouse, using red sandstone trim and a copper roof. The building also includes a four-story tower and a projecting pavilion. Most of the exterior is cream brick; contrasting red sandstone tops the windows. The interior of the courthouse was designed by

Charles Eastlake Charles Locke Eastlake (11 March 1836 – 20 November 1906) was a British architect and furniture designer. His uncle, Sir Charles Lock Eastlake PRA (born in 1793), was a Keeper of the National Gallery, from 1843 to 1847, and from 1855 its fi ...

of England, using heavy, elaborately decorated plaster and woodwork. A modern five-story addition with parking deck is located at the southwest corner of the building.

References

External links

* {{National Register of Historic Places County courthouses in Michigan Buildings and structures in Houghton, Michigan Government buildings completed in 1886 Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Michigan State Historic Sites in Houghton County National Register of Historic Places in Houghton County, Michigan Second Empire architecture in Michigan

History

Description

See also

References

External links