The Alpena County Courthouses is a historic courthouse located in Alpena, Michigan. It houses the circuit court and county clerk, and the district court and probate court are housed across the street in the County Annex Building.

History

The first courthouse in Alpena County was located at 150 East Chisholm Street, which is now the site of the I.O.O.F. Centennial Building. This building was destroyed by fire on December 12, 1870. A new courthouse was built in 1881 at 720 West Chisholm Street. This second building also burned down on November 22, 1932.

The current courthouse opened on October 21, 1934. It was designed by architect William H. Kuni of Detroit and built by the Henry C. Webber Construction Co. The building used locally made poured Portland cement, which was made from limestone quarried in the area. Kuni said this was the first building of its kind to be poured during the winter in a cold climate. Kuni also designed the courthouse in Tuscola County.

The courthouse was partly funded by local bonds and grants from the WPA.

The Art Deco-style courthouse is known as "Fort Alpena" by a local writer. It has decorative sculptures, including an eagle on top of the clock on the main entrance. Other decorations show figures of Justice and Law, as well as images of the county's industries, such as lumbering, shipbuilding, farming, fishing, and recreation.

On December 8, 1983, the courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with the number #83003643. It is also a state-registered historic site.

The Alpena County Annex, which houses the district and probate courts, is located at 719 Chisholm Avenue. It opened in 1997.