The Gratiot County Courthouse is a government building located at 214 East Center Street in Ithaca, Michigan. It was named a Michigan State Historic Site in 1957. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
History
Gratiot County was first planned in 1831, but people began settling there in 1843 when a Lutheran mission was built near the current location of St. Louis. The county government was created in 1856, and Gratiot Center was chosen as the county seat. A two-story log cabin, built by local settler John Jeffrey in the same year, served as the first courthouse. The next year, the town was renamed "Ithaca," a name it still uses today. In 1861, an additional office building was built, and in 1870, the original courthouse was replaced with a 36-by-60-foot (11 m × 18 m) wooden structure.
In 1900, voters approved building a stone courthouse. Plans were designed by Jackson-based architect Claire Allen, and the cornerstone was laid in September 1900. However, work stopped when the contractor asked for more money, leading to lawsuits between the county and the contractor’s bondsmen. The issue was resolved, and construction continued with A. W. Mohnke of Grand Rapids. The total cost was $75,000. A clock was added to the courthouse’s clock tower in 1905.
In 1978, a fire damaged the second floor of the courthouse. In the 1990s, a new "connector building" was added, and the 1902 courthouse was renovated. Today, the courthouse is still used for county offices and court proceedings.
Description
The Gratiot County Courthouse is a building with 2 and one-half stories made of beige sandstone. It measures 36 by 60 feet (11 meters by 18 meters). The building sits on a half-basement and has a clock tower with several levels that ends with a belfry. The front entrance is surrounded by a decorative column that is arched and twisted. Inside, the building has a round room in the center, and the main features are made of oak and marble.
The building has stayed mostly the same, with few changes made over time.