The first courthouse in Alpena County was located at 150 East Chisholm Street, now the site of the I.O.O.F. Centennial Building.[3] The building was destroyed by a fire on December 12, 1870, and a replacement was built in 1881 at 720 W Chisholm Street. It met a similar fate on November 22, 1932.[4][5][6]
Clocktower
The current courthouse opened October 21, 1934. The building was designed by architect William H. Kuni of Detroit and built by the Henry C. Webber Construction Co. of locally produced poured Portland cement made from locally quarried limestone.[7][8] According to Kuni, it was the first monolithic poured building constructed during the winter in a cold climate.[1][9][10] Kuni also designed the Tuscola County Courthouse.[11]
It was financed partly by local bonds and WPA grants.[9]
The Art Deco building, dubbed "Fort Alpena" by a local writer, is embellished by architectural sculpture, including an eagle perched atop the clock on the main facade and figures of Justice and Law as well as "fascia designs show(ing) images of the county's lumbering, shipbuilding, farming, fishing and recreational industries."[12]
^"Comprehensive Plan"(PDF). City of Alpena, Michigan. December 13, 2013. pp. 5–6. Archived from the original(PDF) on July 17, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
^"Comprehensive Plan"(PDF). City of Alpena, Michigan. December 13, 2013. p. 5-5. Archived from the original(PDF) on July 17, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
