I love the grand old courthouse in Houghton. The historical marker next to it reads:
The opulent High Victorian design of the Houghton County Courthouse testifies to the prosperity that the copper boom brought to the area in the late nineteenth century. The building’s irregular form and polychromatic exterior make it one of Michigan’s most distinctive nineteenth century courthouses. The red sandstone trim and copper roof were products of the Upper Peninsula. The architect, J. B. Sweatt, was from Marquette. Originally from Chicago, Sweatt typified the many architects who worked in Houghton and participated in the building rush that occurred during the copper boom. Dedicated on July 28, 1887, the courthouse replaced a frame structure constructed in 1862.
If you have read the posts on my website for a long time, you probably noticed I take a lot of photos of county courthouses. My hometown of Saginaw had a magnificent Victorian-era courthouse that was torn down about five years before I was born. The city was trying to compete with the urban sprawl and the construction of shopping malls and big chain stores. Like many cities at that time, Saginaw was trying to modernize and demolish its old buildings. I wished the old courthouse would have been saved. It’s just an empty field now. I think it was one of the most beautiful courthouses in Michigan. You can see a pic of it on my other website HERE. I hope the citizens in counties with old historic courthouses cherish them, and that is why I take a lot of courthouse photos.
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