The Lapeer County Courthouse is a county

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

located on Courthouse Square along West Nepessing Street in the city of Lapeer in

Lapeer County Lapeer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 88,619. The county seat is Lapeer. The county was created on September 18, 1822, and was fully organized on February 2, 1835. The name ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. It was designated as a

Michigan State Historic Site The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office is one of 59 state historic preservation offices established according to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 that plays a role in implementing federal historic preservation policy in the ...

on September 17, 1957, and later added to 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 ...

on September 3, 1971. It was the first property in Lapeer County to be listed on either registry. Lapeer County Courthouse2

The courthouse is a rectangular, wood, two-story structure built on a raised foundation in the style of

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...

architecture. On the inside, a circuit court room is located on the second floor with jury room; administrative offices are located on the ground floor; and restrooms are located in the basement. The building also houses a Lapeer County Historical Society display with some vintage furnishings. With limited space, the police station, probate court, jail, and several other offices and courtrooms are now located behind the courthouse in a newer complex located at 255 Clay Street. The Lapeer County Courthouse is among the earliest of its kind built in the state. It is recognized as the oldest original courthouse structure still in use in the state of Michigan and one of the 10 oldest such structures in all of the country. Lapeer County was formed in 1822 with the city of Lapeer being established as the county seat in 1831. The structure is recognized as having been first constructed in 1839, although this represents an earlier structure built on the site. The date on the

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedimen ...

states 1846, which is the date that the current structure was completed—having been started the previous year. It was commissioned by state representative and state senator Alvin N. Hart, who lobbied successfully for Lapeer to continue to serve as the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

. Hart sold the structure to the Board of Supervisors of Lapeer County for $4,500 in 1853. The first local

Grange Grange may refer to: Buildings * Grange House, Scotland, built in 1564, and demolished in 1906 * Grange Estate, Pennsylvania, built in 1682 * Monastic grange, a farming estate belonging to a monastery Geography Australia * Grange, South Austral ...

in Michigan was founded at this site in 1872. Since its construction, the only alteration to the structure occurred when three doorways were cut into the

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

in 1938. The property is owned by the Lapeer County Historical Society and is open for tours during special events. It can also be rented.

References

External links

Historic Courthouse
- Lapeer County Historical Society {{National Register of Historic Places listings in Lapeer County, Michigan County courthouses in Michigan Michigan State Historic Sites Government buildings completed in 1846 Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Greek Revival architecture in Michigan Buildings and structures in Lapeer County, Michigan 1846 establishments in Michigan Tourist attractions in Lapeer County, Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Lapeer County, Michigan