Gogebic County Courthouse

The Gogebic County Courthouse is a government building located on North Moore Street in Bessemer, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981[1] and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971.[2]

Gogebic County Courthouse
Gogebic County Courthouse, July 2014
Location200 N. Moore St.
Bessemer, Michigan
Coordinates46°28′56″N 90°3′11″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1888
Built byHerman Gundlach
ArchitectCharlton and Kuenzli
Architectural styleRomanesque
NRHP reference No.81000306[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 8, 1981
Designated MSHSDecember 10, 1971[2]

History

Gogebic County was split from Ontonagon County in 1887.[3] The county immediately started work on a courthouse, jail, and sheriff's office.[3] The buildings were designed by the firm of Charlton and Kuenzli, and constructed in 1888 for $50,000 by contractor Herman Gundlach.[3]

The courthouse was enlarged in 1915.[3] In 1974, the original jail and sheriff's office were demolished and replaced,[3] and an elevator tower and annex to the courthouse were constructed.[2]

Gogebic County Courthouse, c. 1920

Significance

The Gogebic County Courthouse symbolizes the cooperative effort of individuals, industries, and skilled workers in the Bessemer area in constructing a finely crafted building.[2] It is a regional landmark, built when Gogebic County was a booming mining area, and reflects the economic prosperity of the times and the enthusiasm of county residents at a time when Gogebic County was a newly created political entity.[2]

Description

The Gogebic County Courthouse is a rectangular Romanesque red sandstone building, two stories tall with a full basement.[2] It has a hipped roof and a four-story square tower on the front facade. The entrance is through a carved, round arched entryway in the base of the tower. Farther up the tower are rectangular windows with transoms, surrounded by carved stone, and a porthole window. A dentilated cornice runs around the roofline of the building.[2]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Gogebic County Courthouse". Michigan State Housing Development Authority: Historic Sites Online. Archived from the original on June 12, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  3. John Fedynsky (2010), Michigan's County Courthouses, University of Michigan Press, pp. 59–60, ISBN 0-472-11728-9
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