Presque Isle County Courthouse
About this property
The Presque Isle County Courthouse, also known as the Onaway Courthouse, is a government building located on the corner of State and Maple Streets in Onaway, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1978 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Merritt Chandler was born in 1843 near Adrian, Michigan. He made a fortune in lumbering and then in building roads; in 1886 he platted the village of Onaway. By 1903, Onaway had a population of 3000, making it the largest settlement in Presque Isle County. In 1908, Chandler constructed this building and donated it to the county in an effort to wrest the county seat away from Rogers City. He was unable to have the county seat moved, so in 1911 a drive started to carve out a new county for Onaway, to be called "Forest County." The drive failed, but as a compromise, county court sessions were alternated between Rogers City and Onaway until the 1940s. The building served various functions over the years, but began to fall into disrepair. In the late 1990s, restoration efforts began, and over $1 million was spent to improve the heating and electrical system, replace the roof and windows, refinish the interior, and install a clock in the clocktower. As of 2009, the building houses the Onaway Branch of the Presque Isle District Library, the Onaway Historical Museum, the Chamber of Commerce, and offices of the City of Onaway. The Presque Isle County Courthouse is a two-story asymmetric structure built of poured concrete block building on a fieldstone foundation. Its Eclectic design incorporates Italian Villa, Romanesque, and Renaissance Revival styles. It has a low-pitched hip roof with overhanging eaves supported by bracketry, and a square off-center tower.
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.
Everything a full report reveals about Presque Isle County Courthouse
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Questions about this property
When was Presque Isle County Courthouse listed on the National Register?
Presque Isle County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 2, 1980.
What type of historic resource is Presque Isle County Courthouse?
Presque Isle County Courthouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Presque Isle County Courthouse?
The period of significance for Presque Isle County Courthouse is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Presque Isle County Courthouse?
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 Presque Isle County Courthouse will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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An Aubrey US report for an address near Presque Isle County Courthouse will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.