The Presque Isle County Courthouse, also called the Onaway Courthouse, is a government building located at the corner of State and Maple Streets in Onaway, Michigan. It was named a Michigan State Historic Site in 1978 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

History

Merritt Chandler was born in 1843 near Adrian, Michigan. He earned wealth through lumbering and road construction. In 1886, he designed the village of Onaway. By 1903, Onaway had 3,000 people, making it the largest town in Presque Isle County. In 1908, Chandler built a structure and gave it to the county to try to move the county seat from Rogers City. His plan did not succeed, so in 1911, people began trying to create a new county for Onaway, named "Forest County." This effort failed, but as a compromise, court meetings were held in both Rogers City and Onaway until the 1940s.

The building had many uses over time but began to show signs of damage. In the late 1990s, restoration work started. More than $1 million was used to repair heating and electrical systems, replace the roof and windows, redo the interior, and add a clock to the clocktower.

As of 2009, the building is home to the Onaway Branch of the Presque Isle District Library, the Onaway Historical Museum, the Chamber of Commerce, and city offices of Onaway.

Description

The Presque Isle County Courthouse is a two-story building that is not symmetrical. It is made of poured concrete blocks and sits on a foundation built from fieldstone. The courthouse combines features from three different architectural styles: Italian Villa, Romanesque, and Renaissance Revival. It has a roof with a gentle slope on all sides, with eaves that extend outward and are held up by brackets. The building also includes a square tower that is not centered on the structure.