Second Arenac County Courthouse - Omer, MI - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

From the State of Michigan Historic Preservation Office web-site:

Narrative Description:
The Second Arenac County Courthouse is a rectangular, two-story, frame structure sheathed in white-painted clapboard. Its massing and fenestration are symmetrical and marked by an extended center entry bay that reaches up to the crestline of the gable roof. A slightly projected, clapboard enframement, a transom window, and solid wood paneled doors accent the entrance. An extended porch highlighted by four slender columns, a dentilated cornice, and a pediment with a center medallion cover the doorway. The building features a pedimented wood porch, and elaborate fanlight window at the second story level of the front facade, and a gable roof with ornamental fishscale shingles and sunburst carving in the pedimented gable end. Beyond the gable-roofed portion of the front facade, the main roof is hipped. A belvedere straddles the crestline of the gable roof and displays paired sashes on each of its four sides, as well as a dentilated cornice and a hip-roof.

Statement of Significance:
The Second Arenac County Courthouse is an outstanding example of a highly detailed vernacular frame building and an expression of local craftsmanship. The contract for its construction was given to Angus McDonnell, a local contractor and sawmill owner. The structure was completed between 1889 and 1890. In 1891, a second vote on the location of the county seat was called and Omer lost to Standish. The vacated court building was purchased by the Omer Lodge of the Free and Acceptable Order of Masons in April of 1893. The Masonic Lodge allowed the village to use the hall at various times as a village hall, fire station, and jail. It is currently maintained for the lodge's activities.


From the Michigan Historical Marker on-site:

OMER MASONIC HALL This church-like white frame structure with its graceful cupola was built in 1890 as the second Arenac County Courthouse. The first courthouse on this site burned the previous year. Omer had been a part of Bay County until Arenac was organized in 1883 and this city, then a village, became the county seat. Less than a decade later, voters made nearby Standish the county seat. The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the state of Michigan purchased this building in 1893 for the Omer Masonic Lodge; that group and the Order of the Eastern Star still hold meetings here. Surviving the disastrous fire of 1914 which swept through Omer's business district, this edifice housed the temporary headquarters of several firms. It is one of the city's oldest buildings.

Street address: 205 Center Rd Omer, MI omer, MI U.S.A. 48749 County / Borough / Parish: Arenac County Year listed: 1982 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture, Politics/Government Periods of significance: 1875-1899 Historic function: Government Current function: Social Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Privately owned?: Not Listed Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   10/28/2021 bobfrapples8 visited it 10/09/2017 Team--B visited it 10/06/2016 just for the fun visited it 09/03/2016 ScoutManitou visited it

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