Marquette County, Michigan
Government
The present Marquette County Courthouse stands on the site of the County’s first courthouse. The earlier building was completed by the summer of 1858 at a cost of approximately $4,300. By 1889, the population of Marquette County had swelled to about 40,000 and county government had outgrown their quarters. Due to the depression of 1893, nine years passed before the county commissioned local architects Demitrius F. Charlton and R. William Gilbert to design the present structure which was constructed by Northern Construction Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a cost of approximately $210,000. The original dedication took place on September 17, 1904, and was held in conjunction with the dedication of the Peter White Public Library. The City of Marquette transferred guests to Presque Isle via the city’s street railway for an afternoon of refreshments and dancing. Native Upper Peninsula sandstone graces the exterior of the courthouse. The foundation up to the water table is Marquette Raindrop Brownstone which was cut at the old Marquette Quarry operated by John Burt, son of explorer and inventory William Burt. The remainder of the exterior is Portage Entry Redstone which was quarried in the Keweenaw Peninsula and gives it a distinctive red hue. The red granite columns which support the main portico were quarried and polished in Redbeach, Maine and transported to Marquette. This was major undertaking as each column weighs 15 tons. The main corridors are lined with Italian marble wainscot and the flooring is vitrified mosaic tile set in a decorative pattern. Numerous columns of Scagliola plaster also appoint the corridors. The woodwork and furnishings are constructed of fine hardwood. The interior and exterior focal point of the building is an elaborate stained glass dome which is located above the main circuit courtroom and is protected from the elements by an exterior copper sheathed dome. The courthouse has enjoyed a rich history. In 1913, former President Theodo
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