Bay County Building
About this property
The Bay County Building is a government building located at 515 Center Avenue in Bay City, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Bay County was founded in 1858. The first courthouse was a small clapboard structure at the foot of Fourth Street in Bay City. In 1867, this had grown too small, and a new courthouse was erected at this location, opening in 1868. By the late 1920s, however, Judge Samuel G. Houghton was campaigning for a new courthouse. In 1931, voters approved, and in 1932 the county Board of Supervisors selected local architect Joseph C. Goddeyne to design the building and Bay City Stone Company to construct it. The project began in 1932 with the clearing of the site and the demolition of the old courthouse. The cornerstone for the new courthouse was laid on April 13, 1933. The building was completed in 1934. The building is still used by the county. The Bay County Building is an eight-story steel-framed Art Deco structure sheathed in limestone and granite. The main facade has an entry portico on the slightly projecting main bay with three deeply set doorways with classic Art Deco surrounds. Piers rise above from the weighted lower section, and the upper levels are stepped back. The center bay has three trabeated windows in simple metal frames on each floor. Three-story side bays with stacks of windows flank the center. The side facades are similar, with a weighed base and three stories above with trabeated windows. The higher floors are stepped back. One side has an entryway. On the interior, the front foyer and first floor corridor have molded edge marble panels lining the walls and a decoratively colored, tile-edged terrazzo floor. Above, a wide plaster painted fascia runs along the top. The probate and circuit courtrooms have plaster walls with paneled oak wainscoting and a speaker's dais constructed of the same deep-stained oak.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Bay County Building listed on the National Register?
Bay County Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 25, 1982.
What type of historic resource is Bay County Building?
Bay County Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Bay County Building?
The period of significance for Bay County Building is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Bay County Building?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Bay County Building will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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