Lapeer County Courthouse | |
 | |
  Location within the state of Michigan  Lapeer County Courthouse (the United States) | |
| Location | Courthouse Square on West Nepessing Street Lapeer, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°03′14″N83°18′39″W / 43.05389°N 83.31083°W Coordinates: 43°03′14″N83°18′39″W / 43.05389°N 83.31083°W |
| Built | 1845–1846 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference # | 71000402 [1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | September 3, 1971 |
| Designated MSHS | September 17, 1957 [2] |
The Lapeer County Courthouse is a county courthouse located on Courthouse Square along West Nepessing Street in the city of Lapeer in Lapeer County, Michigan. It was designated as a Michigan State Historic Site on September 17, 1957 and later added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 3, 1971. It was the first property in Lapeer County to be listed on either registry. [1] [2]
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply called "courts" or "court buildings". In most of Continental Europe and former non-English-speaking European colonies, the equivalent term is a palace of justice.
Lapeer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Lapeer County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,841. Most of the city was incorporated from land that was formerly in Lapeer Township, though portions were also annexed from Mayfield Township and Elba Township. The city government is politically independent of all three townships. Lapeer is in southern Michigan, east of Flint, on the Flint River. The name "Lapeer" is a corruption of the French la pierre, which means "the rock", a reference to flint.
Lapeer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 88,319. The county seat is Lapeer. The county was created on September 18, 1822, and was fully organized on February 2, 1835. The name is a corruption of the French la pierre, which means "the flint".
The courthouse is a rectangular, wood, two-story structure built on a raised foundation in the style of Greek Revival architecture. On the inside, a circuit court room is located on the second floor with jury room; administrative offices are located on the ground floor; and restrooms are located in the basement. The building also houses a Lapeer County Historical Society display with some vintage furnishings. With limited space, the police station, probate court, jail, and several other offices and courtrooms are now located behind the courthouse in a newer complex located at 255 Clay Street. [2] [3]
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. It revived the style of ancient Greek architecture, in particular the Greek temple, with varying degrees of thoroughness and consistency. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture, which had for long mainly drawn from Roman architecture. The term was first used by Charles Robert Cockerell in a lecture he gave as Professor of Architecture to the Royal Academy of Arts, London in 1842.
The Lapeer County Courthouse is among the earliest of its kind built in the state. It is recognized as the oldest original courthouse structure still in use in the state of Michigan and one of the 10 oldest such structures in all of the country. [4] Lapeer County was formed in 1822 with the city of Lapeer being established as the county seat in 1831. The structure is recognized as having been first constructed in 1839, [2] although this represents an earlier structure built on the site. The date on the pediment states 1846, which is the date that the current structure was completed—having been started the previous year. [4] It was commissioned by state representative and state senator Alvin N. Hart, who lobbied successfully for Lapeer to continue to serve as the county seat. Hart sold the structure to the Board of Supervisors of Lapeer County for $4,500 in 1853. The first local Grange in Michigan was founded at this site in 1872. Since its construction, the only alteration to the structure occurred when three doorways were cut into the portico in 1938. [2]
A pediment is an architectural element found particularly in classical, neoclassical and baroque architecture, and its derivatives, consisting of a gable, usually of a triangular shape, placed above the horizontal structure of the entablature, typically supported by columns. The tympanum, the triangular area within the pediment, is often decorated with relief sculpture.
Alvin Nelson Hart was an American jurist and politician who served multiple terms in the Michigan Senate and Michigan House of Representatives in the state's early years, and founded the town of Lapeer, Michigan.
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is used in Canada, China, Romania, Taiwan and the United States. County towns have a similar function in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, and historically in Jamaica.
The property is owned by the Lapeer County Historical Society and is open for tours during special events. [5] It can also be rented.
