The Macomb County Building
During the "Roaring Twenties," Macomb County officials began to feel the pinch of overcrowded conditions in the county courthouse at Cass & Gratiot. The building had been constructed in 1880, and was shared by Macomb County and the City of Mount Clemens. The Board of Supervisors began a plan to build a new courthouse.
The board's first step, taken in 1927, was an attempt to break the will of Christian Clemens, founder of the city of Mount Clemens. The land on which the old courthouse stood had been deeded to the county by Clemens with the stipulation that it be used as the county seat. The Board of Supervisors sought to break the will so that they might sell the land upon which the courthouse stood and use the proceeds to finance the construction of a new building on another site.
After this plan was abandoned, the supervisors set about making plans to construct a new building on the existing site at Cass & Gratiot. On November 11, 1930, the Arrow Wrecking Company began the task of demolishing the old courthouse building. The old cornerstone which had been laid on October 21, 1880 was removed and opened, but its contents are reported to have been unremarkable and disappointing to the onlookers.
In August, 1930, architect George J. Haas of St. Clair Shores submitted his plans for a limestone-clad, 12-story building with a square footprint and an Art Deco design. In September of that year, the Board of Commissioners voted to proceed with the plan.
Bids for a new structure that was to cost no more than $650,000 were awarded on March 14, 1931, and the Otto Misch Company received the nod as general contractor. When construction began, a crew of 75 men, most of them county residents, worked 24 hours per day, assisted by floodlights when necessary.
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Michigan's governor, Wilber M. Brucker, was chief among the dignitaries present on July 1, 1931, when the cornerstone was laid for the new Macomb County Building, despite the sweltering heat of the day. The program featured a flyover from Selfridge Field and music by the Armada Band. The ceremonies took place on a platform erected at the southwest corner of the courthouse site, with the skeleton of the new building as a backdrop.
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Among the items sealed into the new cornerstone vault were some of the newspapers and business cards taken from the old cornerstone vault; 1931 newspapers from various Macomb County communities; membership rosters of several civic organizations; photographs of the old courthouse, and a complete set of plans for the new Macomb County Building, along with a photograph of architect George J. Haas.
Construction continued apace, but the weight of the Great Depression soon began to be felt in Macomb County, and the county coffers ran dry in February, 1933. Contracts for the new building were vacated and construction was halted for a number of months. The building's 13-story superstructure was in place, but only the first 5 floors were finished inside. On June 5, 1933, a dedicated ceremony was held for the unfinished edifice, and county officials moved out of rented quarters to occupy the available lower floors.
Work on the building continued in a piecemeal fashion, as contractors were paid from a small trickle of funds coming in on current and delinquent taxes. The county also benefited from some $50,000 in WPA funds which were applied to the project. By 1944, with all but a portion of the top floor remaining unfinished, the Macomb County Building project was free of debt and substantially complete.
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Most noteworthy among the design elements which grace the Macomb County Building's facade are the six granite figures perched atop the structure. When the designs were drawn, a military motif was favored because of the nearby presence of Selfridge Field. For that reason, the visages of a soldier, sailor, marine and airman were incorporated in the design. In a nod to the county's history, the figures of a Revolutionary War soldier and a Native American were added as well. The front and back of the building feature the Revolutionary War soldier and Native American faces. The sailor and marine face Cass Avenue, while the soldier and airman gaze toward Selfridge Air Base. |
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Although a new county court building opened to the north of it in 1972, and a new administration building rose to the south of it in1998, the Macomb County Building of 1931 still stands as a proud sentinel over Macomb's seat of justice, from the very spot that Christian Clemens selected for it in 1818.
For further information about the history of the Macomb County Building, we recommend:
"Move to Break Clemens Deed: Drawing of Abstract Marks First Step in Changing Court House Site," Mount Clemens Daily Leader, August 10, 1927.
"Tentative Plans Provide 12-Story County Building: Draft of Architect Now Being Considered by Committee," Mount Clemens Monitor, August 1, 1930, p.1.
"New Courthouse Job Near Start," Mount Clemens Monitor, March 20, 1931, p.1.
"Courthouse is Dedicated for Years to Come," Mount Clemens Daily Leader, June 5, 1933, p.1.
"County's Once Staggering Debt on New Building is Discharged: Pretentious Structure is Now in Clear," Mount Clemens Daily Monitor-Leader, March 7, 1944.
Kantner, Jack B. "Six Tax-Supported Gents Give Public Stony Stare," Mount Clemens Daily Monitor-Leader, September 3, 1948.
"Crash, Depression Hinder Start of County Building Construction," Mount Clemens Daily Monitor-Leader, July 21, 1952.
Laurain, Lawrence A. "History of a Building: County Structure Has Tradition," Macomb Daily, March 1975.
Read the Macomb County Building's entry at skyscrapers.com
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