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Mason County Courthouse (Michigan)
Encyclopedia
The Mason County Courthouse is in Mason County, Michigan
. It is in the town of Ludington
in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
timber. Among these early settlers in the area were Burr Caswell
, Charles Mears
, James Ludington
, and Eber Brock Ward
. The area began settlement when Burr Caswell moved to the area in 1847 from the state of New York. He built a frame house from driftwood in 1849. This was the first frame building in Mason County and is still at White Pine Village
.
The Caswell farmhouse served as the first official county seat and as the first courthouse structure. Caswell moved his family upstairs and turned the first floor of his farmhouse over to Mason County to use for a courthouse and trading post. There was even a jail below the house. The Mason County Historical Society
restored Caswell's house and the house is now part of "Historic White Pine Village". There were two additional structures before the final present day fourth structure was built in 1893 to serve as Mason County's courthouse.
Mason County was officially organized in 1855. The official county seat of Mason County and its courthouse was determined to be at Burr Caswell's farmhouse at that time.
Prior to then the area was an unofficial settlement in the upper northwestern part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The Caswell farmhouse was the county courthouse until 1861. In 1861 the county seat moved to Little Sable (later called Lincoln Village). In 1873 the permanent county seat moved to the town of Pere Marquette in Pere Marquette Township of Mason County. The town name of Pere Marquette was changed to "Ludington" because of its developer James Ludington, a wealthy Milwaukee businessman, and officially incorporated as a city the same year. The 1873 brick courthouse was built at 407 E. Pere Marquette Street. The land was donated by Charles Resseguie.
as one of his Century tower clocks
and installed in 1907. The building was designed by the architect Sidney J. Osgood from Grand Rapids, Michigan
. It is a Richardsonian Romanesque
structure built of Jacobsville sandstone
from Houghton County
in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The courthouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
and also as Michigan Registered Site L0404.
Since October of 2010 the tower clock has had thirteen strikes of the clock bell
at 1 o'clock, day or night.
. It represents that the State of Michigan deems the present Mason County Courthouse worthy of being preserved. This present existing structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Sites on February 24, 1988. It was placed on the State Register of Historic Sites on August 15, 1975. The existing Mason County Courthouse celebrated its 100th Anniversity on September 18, 1994. The first Mason County Courthouse at White Pine Village
received a historical marker in 1986 and appeared on the State Register of Historic Sites on May 17, 1978. The News Release explaining the above is dated 2:34 P.M. of 18 May 2000 from the Historical Society to the Mason County Administrator. The official historical marker
that was placed on the premises reads
Mason County, Michigan
Mason County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 28,705. The county seat is Ludington.-History:...
. It is in the town of Ludington
Ludington, Michigan
Ludington is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,357. It is the county seat of Mason County.Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River...
in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
History
The area early in its history attracted several lumbermen because of the abundance of white pineEastern White Pine
Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
timber. Among these early settlers in the area were Burr Caswell
Burr Caswell
-Early life:Caswell was born at Glens Falls, New York, in 1807 with the given name of Aaron Burr although he always went by just the name "Burr." As a young man Caswell learned cabinet trade skills. He practiced this business for several years in Glens Falls....
, Charles Mears
Charles Mears
Charles Mears was a Michigan lumber businessman, a Chicago, Illinois capitalist, and a developer of the western part of Michigan. -Early life:...
, James Ludington
James Ludington
James Ludington was an American entrepreneur.-Biography:When Ludington was sixteen in 1843, the family moved from New York to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With his father, Lewis Ludington, they founded Columbus, Wisconsin in 1845.On October 11, 1854 Ludington loaned funds to George W...
, and Eber Brock Ward
Eber Brock Ward
Eber Brock Ward was an iron and steel manufacturer and shipbuilder. He was known as the "steamship king of the Great Lakes" and as the "first of the iron kings." Ward became Detroit's first millionaire. He was the wealthiest man in the Midwest, in his time, due his steel factories.Ward was into...
. The area began settlement when Burr Caswell moved to the area in 1847 from the state of New York. He built a frame house from driftwood in 1849. This was the first frame building in Mason County and is still at White Pine Village
White Pine Village
White Pine Village opened in 1976. It is an outdoor museum containing nineteenth century buildings and related artifacts. The centerpiece is Burr Caswell's 1849 farmhouse...
.
Mason County Historical Society
Mason County Historical Society, located in Ludington, Michigan, is a private, non-profit, educational organization. It is a museum dedicated to preserving the local history of Mason County, Michigan....
restored Caswell's house and the house is now part of "Historic White Pine Village". There were two additional structures before the final present day fourth structure was built in 1893 to serve as Mason County's courthouse.
Mason County was officially organized in 1855. The official county seat of Mason County and its courthouse was determined to be at Burr Caswell's farmhouse at that time.
Prior to then the area was an unofficial settlement in the upper northwestern part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The Caswell farmhouse was the county courthouse until 1861. In 1861 the county seat moved to Little Sable (later called Lincoln Village). In 1873 the permanent county seat moved to the town of Pere Marquette in Pere Marquette Township of Mason County. The town name of Pere Marquette was changed to "Ludington" because of its developer James Ludington, a wealthy Milwaukee businessman, and officially incorporated as a city the same year. The 1873 brick courthouse was built at 407 E. Pere Marquette Street. The land was donated by Charles Resseguie.
Present building
The present multi-story building was erected between 1893 and 1894. The tower clock was built by Nels JohnsonNels Johnson
Nels Johnson was a clockmaker in Manistee, Michigan, United States. He was the manufacturer of Century tower clocks, clocks designed to last 100 years! - Early life :...
as one of his Century tower clocks
Century tower clocks
Century tower clocks were tower clocks manufactured by Nels Johnson, designed to last 100 years. They were "clocks built to last a century," hence the name "Century" tower clocks. These tower clocks were mostly produced from 1880 to 1910...
and installed in 1907. The building was designed by the architect Sidney J. Osgood from Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. It is a Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
structure built of Jacobsville sandstone
Jacobsville Sandstone
Jacobsville Sandstone is a red sandstone common to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Commonly used as an architectural building stone, it is found in the Keweenaw Peninsula and north shore of the Upper Peninsula. Its name is due to the sandstone being quarried largely in Jacobsville, Michigan....
from Houghton County
Houghton County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Keweenaw National Historical Park * Ottawa National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 36,016 people, 13,793 households, and 8,137 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile . There were 17,748 housing...
in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The courthouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and also as Michigan Registered Site L0404.
Since October of 2010 the tower clock has had thirteen strikes of the clock bell
Thirteenth stroke of the clock
Thirteenth stroke of the clock or "thirteen strikes of the clock" is a phrase, saying, and proverb to indicate that the previous events or "strokes to the clock" must be called into question. This is illustrated in the case "Rex vs Haddock" in which a remark by a witness is compared to the...
at 1 o'clock, day or night.
State Historical Marker
According to a News Release Mason County Courthouse receives State Historical Marker on 18 May 2000 by the Mason County Historical Society, the Director Ronald M. Wood congratulated the Mason County Board of Commissioners for receiving from the Michigan Historical Commission the above historical marker. There was an official dedication and unveiling at 5:30 P.M. on 14 June 2000 on the lawn of the Mason County Courthouse near downtown Ludington, MichiganLudington, Michigan
Ludington is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,357. It is the county seat of Mason County.Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River...
. It represents that the State of Michigan deems the present Mason County Courthouse worthy of being preserved. This present existing structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Sites on February 24, 1988. It was placed on the State Register of Historic Sites on August 15, 1975. The existing Mason County Courthouse celebrated its 100th Anniversity on September 18, 1994. The first Mason County Courthouse at White Pine Village
White Pine Village
White Pine Village opened in 1976. It is an outdoor museum containing nineteenth century buildings and related artifacts. The centerpiece is Burr Caswell's 1849 farmhouse...
received a historical marker in 1986 and appeared on the State Register of Historic Sites on May 17, 1978. The News Release explaining the above is dated 2:34 P.M. of 18 May 2000 from the Historical Society to the Mason County Administrator. The official historical marker
Historical marker
A historical marker or historic marker is an indicator such as a plaque or sign to commemorate an event or person of historic interest and to associate that point of interest with a specific locale one can visit.-Description:...
that was placed on the premises reads
Administration
- County Administrator, Fabian Knizacky
- County Clerk, James Riffle
- Drain Commissioner, David Hasenbank
- Prosecuting Attorney, Paul Spaniola
- Register of Deeds, Diane Stark
- Sheriff, Jeff Fiers
- Surveyor, Ted Weinert
- Treasurer, Timothy Hansen
- Circuit Court Judge, Richard I Cooper
- District Court Judge, Peter J. Wadel
- Judge of Probate, Mark D. Raven
- Juvenile Court
- Magistrate, Paddy Baker
- Friend of the Court, Mark Niemeyer
- Equalization Department, Roger Chappel (Director)