The Ionia County Courthouse is a government building found on East Main Street in Ionia, Michigan. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
History
Ionia County was formed in 1837. At first, there was an argument about where the county seat should be, between Ionia and Lyons, but the decision was made in favor of Ionia. The first courthouse, built at this location, was a small building with only one floor. By the 1800s, this building was too small, so a group was formed to choose a new courthouse. The group selected David W. Gibbs, an architect from Toledo, Ohio, to design the building, and Clare Allen, a contractor, to construct it. Construction began on the project in 1883. Clare Allen went bankrupt in 1885, so the group took over to finish the courthouse in 1886.
Electricity was added to the building in 1922, and major renovations were completed in the 1980s. Work began on adding more space to the building in 2017. The original 1883 courthouse is still used by the county government.
Description
The Ionia County Courthouse is a building with 3 and a half stories made of sandstone. It measures 120 feet long by 80 feet wide. The bottom floor uses light sandstone from Ohio, while the rest of the building is made of darker Ionia sandstone. The courthouse is built on a small hill in a large, open lawn. The front of the building has a wide two-level portico with seven wide steps leading up to it. The lower part of the portico has a three-arched stone porch supported by stone pillars, and the upper part is made of wood. The entrance is through two arched doors under the portico. The areas next to the portico are slightly set back, while the end sections extend forward slightly. A wooden decorative band and a cornice with tooth-like patterns run across the top of the building. The roof has a large, four-level domed cupola topped with a statue of justice.
Other entrances are located in the side sections of the building. The back of the courthouse has a central section that extends forward, with an arched entrance and double doors similar to those on the front. Inside, the courthouse forms a square-shaped open space, with courtrooms and offices arranged around the edges.