The Benzie County Courthouse is a historic courthouse located in Beulah, Michigan. It is recognized as a Michigan State Historic Site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was constructed in 1912 as a hotel and recreation center. It later functioned as a courthouse until 1976.

History

The building was built in 1912. It first functioned as a recreation center and hotel called "The Grand." In early 1916, Beulah was chosen as the county seat of Benzie County. The former hotel was changed into a courthouse, with the first floor used for county offices and the second floor for a courtroom and the sheriff’s home. The jail, nicknamed "The County Root Cellar," was a simple concrete structure attached to the courthouse’s east side. The county courthouse moved to the Beulah location on June 1, 1916.

The courthouse had major repairs from 1936 to 1938. Benzie County rented the building until 1942, when it bought the courthouse from Beulah for about $3,000. By 1975, the county collected $615,000 through federal government funds and the sale of a farm to build a new courthouse. Construction of the new building began in January 1975, and the courthouse moved out of the historic building in 1976. After it stopped being a courthouse, the building was used for many purposes, including stores, restaurants, an inn, and condominiums. The building was named a Michigan State Historic Site on February 16, 1989, and added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 3, 1996.

Architecture

The courthouse shows parts of Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival architectural styles. The building has wooden siding and is two floors tall with an attic. It includes Flemish gables on the sides and a slightly sticking-out front. A two-story portico with square columns spans the front of the building.