Iron County Courthouse - Crystal Falls, MI - Courthouses on Waymarking.com

Located in Crystal Falls, the Iron County Court House was constructed in 1890. The building houses many of the Iron County administrative offices, as well as the court room which is still being used for court proceedings (41st Circuit Court, 95B District Court, and Iron County Probate Court)

Built in 1890, the Courthouse was designed by Architect J.C. Clancy. Originally from Antigo, Wisconsin. Clancy also designed several buildings which are on the National Register for Historic Places, including: the Florence Courthouse and Jail; the Dickinson County Courthouse and Jail; and the Carnegie Library in Iron Mountain, which has now become the Iron Range Museum.

This courthouse is characteristic of the Romanesque revival period. The imposing castle-like structure features a high pitched roof, large windows (100 inches tall and varying from 21 to 48 inches wide), deeply arched doorways, turrets and intricate ornamentation. A bid of $26,770 by Louis A. Webber of Menasha was accepted by the county board for construction. The final cost rose to about $40,000. In September of 1890, the cornerstone was laid. $2,700 was paid to C.T. Crandall, an early Prosecuting Attorney, for the land on which the courthouse was built. William Russell, a Crystal Falls Building Contractor, as well as a County Commissioner, was the contractor to dig out and build the foundation. This building was described "to the Queen's taste" and "the finest building Northwest of Milwaukee or Detroit" in 1891.

At the time it was built, the courtroom was the largest auditorium in the Upper Peninsula, and considered an interior masterpiece. The dome shaped ceiling is of metallic composition, and the paint colors and stenciling are reproductions of the original Victorian era. There are eight pictures showcasing the circuit court judges who have served these vaulted chambers, going back to Judge John W. Stone in 1890. There are brass name plates that identify the judges. Not all the recent judges have sat for a portrait, however, but we hope they will in time.We now have the Trial Court which encompasses all phases of court: Circuit, District, Probate, Juvenile and was initiated by our current Judge C. Joseph Schwedler who oversees it all. The offices of the Judge, Court Administrator/Court Reporter Lori Willman, Probate Registrar K. Sue Strahan, District Court Clerk Christine Valesano and Deputy District Court Clerk Sue Kososki are on this level.

Source: Iron County Courthouse Tour booklet, available at https://ironmi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/IronCountyTour.pdf