Wayne County Building

The Wayne County Courthouse (now the Wayne County Building) represents the classical revival of the time. The order in design and detailing of the facade, as well as the interior, indicate the high standards of a period that has always been admired for its taste. The Courthouse had previously occupied the County Building at the Southeast corner of Congress and Griswold and the old City Hall. Eventually both buildings were outgrown by the increasing business of city and county, and the City undertook the erection of a new structure.

After a number of proposals it was decided to purchase the block bounded by Randolph, Congress, Brush, and Fort Street in 1895 at a cost of $550,000.00. The ground was broken for the excavation in September, 1896, and the foundation was ready for the cornerstone laying on October 20, 1897. On that day, amid impressive ceremonies, the cornerstone was laid by Probate Judge Edgar O. Durfee.

The environs in which the Wayne County Building is located is part of a street plan initiated by Judge Augustus B. Woodward, after the city plan of Washington, D.C. The central point was to be Grand Circus Park with a street pattern radiating from the park. As the city grew, new focal points were to be established where avenues and streets met, creating open spaces throughout the city.

Although the plan was not unanimously accepted by Woodward's associates, the southern half of the Grand Circus was executed. This includes the now open spaces of Campus Martius and Cadillac Square, one-half mile south of the Grand Circus, around which is grouped the Wayne County Building, and at one time the City Hall. For approximately 60 years City Hall and the Wayne County Building faced each other. The Wayne County Building was probably built to echo the similar design of City Hall as well as combine their functions.

The Detroit architectural firm of John Scott and Company were the designers of the building and in the fall of 1902 the building was finished and made ready for occupancy. Elaborate exercises were held on Dedication Day, October 11, 1902 by the Detroit Bar Association. The whole cost of the building and its furnishings up to the time of dedication was approximately $1,600,000.00.

At the time of its completion, the four story Wayne County Building, with an above ground basement, was not only one of the most impressive architectural structures in the city, but also the most ornate in its interior finish of any public building in the state. No costs were spared in the construction and decoration of the building, representing the classical revival of the time. The ground and first floors are constructed of rusticated Eastern granite, while the upper three stories and tower are of Berea sandstone. A belt course is found between the first and second stories: a balustrade surrounds the building between the third and fourth stories.

A broad flight of stairs leads to the main entrance, above which is a two story Corinthian portico. The pediment of the portico is decorated with a carved stone relief by Edward Wagner of Detroit, depicting 'Mad Anthony' Wayne conferring with the Indians. The classical fenestration is characterized by rectangular windows at the above ground basement, round-arched on the first story, rectangular with pediment on the second story, rectangular with lintel on the third story and rectangular with plain trim on the fourth story. A central four-tiered tower with a convex dome and Corinthian colonnade, dominates the structure.

Placed on either side of the tower, facing Cadillac Square, are two bronze sculpture groups symbolizing Progress, by J. Massey Rhind of New York. Above the four corners of the tower colonnade are bronze figures representing Law, Commerce, Agriculture and Mechanics. The flat roof is surrounded by a parapet with a pinnacle on each pier.

The interior of the building is richly decorated with an abundance of fine woods and a variety of marbles in colored textures. Exquisitely designed mosaic floors and ceilings are found at the entrances and throughout the main halls. The seven Justice court rooms are finished in white oak and the court ceilings have deep octagonal panels, formed by moulded and enriched tiles. Windows by Tiffany and mahogany furniture and decorative trim also add to the sumptuous decoration of the building.

In 1918 remodeling of the third floor was done to make ten circuit court rooms instead of seven. The 'throne room' planned for important trials was dismantled because of poor acoustics and the space was remodeled into three separate court rooms. Over the years various other changes through remodeling and modernization have taken place, mostly in the office areas.