Chippewa County Courthouse

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Chippewa County Courthouse
2009-0618-Soo-ChippewaCtyCt.jpg
Chippewa County Courthouse is located in Michigan
Chippewa County Courthouse
LocationCourt Street, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Coordinates46°29′53″N 84°20′44″W / 46.49806°N 84.34556°W / 46.49806; -84.34556Coordinates: 46°29′53″N 84°20′44″W / 46.49806°N 84.34556°W / 46.49806; -84.34556
Area2.5 acres (1.0 ha)
Built1877
ArchitectWilliam Scott, R.C. Sweat
Architectural styleSecond Empire
Part ofSault Ste. Marie Historic Commercial District (ID100005683)
NRHP reference No.84001381[1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 13, 1984

The Chippewa County Courthouse is a government building located on Court Street in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[1] It is one of the oldest courthouses still in use in Michigan.

History[]

Chippewa County was split off from Michilimackinaw County (formed from the entire Upper Peninsula and part of the lower) in 1826. Sault Ste. Marie was chosen as the county seat.[2] The Chippewa County Courthouse was built in 1877 for $20,000,[2] using a design by Detroit architect William Scott[3] and his son John. In 1904, a rear addition costing $25,000,[2] designed by R. C. Sweat, was added to the structure. A second addition was constructed in approximately 1930.[3]

In the 1980, the courthouse was completely renovated. Paint was stripped off woodwork, new doors and windows were installed, and the face of the tower clock was restored.[2]

Description[]

Courthouse, 1905

The Chippewa County Courthouse is a three-story Second Empire built of cut stone. The original courthouse was a rectangular plan; the 1904 addition made the whole structure into a T-plan. The Second Empire architectural style is consistent between the original courthouse and the later additions.[3] The stone walls are two feet (0.61 m) thick,[2] and the building features a contrasting, red-colored stone in beltcourses, quoins, lintels, and entryways. The center entrance is set in a slightly projecting pavilion topped with a pediment. Windows on the first floor have a segmented arch, while second-story windows are elliptically arched. Both the main structure and the clock tower are topped with a mansard roof;[3] the roof was originally covered with slate but is now covered with asphalt shingles.[2] Round windows were added to the mansard roof in 1904.[3]

Inside, original stamped tin ceilings are still installed.[3] Pillars inside the courtroom have ornate cast iron capitals, and the radiators are covered with grillwork.[2]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Fedynsky, John (2010). Michigan's County Courthouses. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. pp. 37–8. ISBN 978-0472117284. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Chippewa County Courthouse". Historic Sites Online. Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Archived from the original on 2012-12-24. Retrieved April 27, 2012.

External links[]

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