Calhoun County, Michigan

Founding: 1833 (declared in 1829)
Parent county: Unorganized territory

Namesake: John Calhoun (1782–1850), South Carolina politician
Seats: Marshall (1833–)

Land area: 706 square miles

Population (2010): 136,146

Population (historic): 10,599 (1840); 38,452 (1880); 49,315 (1900); 87,043 (1930)

Periods of population growth: 1830–1870; 1880–1930; 1940–1960

Subdivisions: Four cities; five villages; two CDPs; 19 townships

National Register listings: 43

Income (per capita): $20,661

Income (median household): $42,921
Business establishments: 2,630 (51.8 people per business)
Pre-1939 residences (estimated): 15,092 (24.8%)
Vacant houses: 7,990 (13.1%)
Sources of settlement: New York, England, Germany, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Ireland

Marshall

Namesake: John Marshall (1755–1835), Supreme Court justice

Founding: 1830 (platting); 1831 (post office)

Population (2010): 7,088

Population (historic): 1,972 (1850); 3,795 (1880); 5,019 (1930)

Periods of population growth: 1830–1870; 1890s; 1920s; 1940–1960; 1990s
Typology: Grid (with interrupting public square)

Courthouse Prehistory

- Between 1833 and 1838, the Calhoun County government met at Marshall hotels and school buildings.

First Courthouse

Location: Marshall

Construction: 1837–1838

Years of service: 1838–1872

Typology: Front-gabled (temple-form); brick; two-story

Style: Greek Revival

Builder: Unknown

Cost: $25,000 ($584,204 in 2017 dollars)

Status: Razed

Features of note: Pedimented portico; three-bay facade; elongated side windows; rectangular lintels and sills; square columns.

For a photo, see this page.

Second Courthouse

Location: South Kalamazoo Avenue (Marshall)

Construction: 1873–1875

Years of service: 1875–1955

Typology: Axial; brick; two-and-a-half-story (with elevated basement)

Style: Second Empire

Architect: E.E. Myers

Cost: $54,688 ($1,240,194 in 2017 dollars)

Status: Razed

Features of note: Central tower; metal rooftop balustrade; circular and broken-pedimented dormers; bracketed cornice; projecting central bay; corner pavilions; circular windows; quoins; round-arched windows with stone hoodmolds and keystones; arcaded porch.

For photos, see this page.

Third Courthouse

Location: 315 West Green Street (Marshall)

Construction: 1955

Years of service: 1955–

Typology: Modern (irregular); three-story

Style: None

Architect: Lewis Sarvis

Cost: Unknown

Status: Extant; functional

Features of note: Nothing. Boo! Hiss!


Sources: Wikipedia; Courthouse History; History of Calhoun County, Michigan (Everts, 1877).