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Wayne County Building
Also known as: Wayne County Courthouse
GeotaggedNational Register
Historic Photo from NRHP Filing
Form No. 10-301a (7/72) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with photograph) STATE: Michigan COUNTY: Wayne FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER: DATE: FEB 2 1975 1. NAME COMMON: Wayne County Building AND/OR HISTORIC: Wayne County Court House 2. LOCATION STREET AND NUMBER: 600 Randolph Street (at Cadillac Square) CITY OR TOWN: Detroit CODE: STATE: Michigan 26 COUNTY: Wayne CODE: 163 3. PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT: Wm. Kevin Murphy DATE OF PHOTO: July, 1974 NEGATIVE FILED AT: Wm. Kevin Murphy, 6559 St. Aubin, Detroit 48211 4. IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC. North facade.
National Register of Historic Places Filing
State SignificanceArchitecturePolitics/Government1897-1902
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.
Physical Description
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.
Architect/Builder
John Scott and Company
NRHP Ref# 75000972 • Data from National Park Service • Content available under CC BY-SA 4.0
Historical Photos
(2)Form No. 10-301a (7/72) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with photograph) STATE: Michigan COUNTY: Wayne FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER: DATE: FEB 2 1975 1. NAME COMMON: Wayne County Building AND/OR HISTORIC: Wayne County Court House 2. LOCATION STREET AND NUMBER: 600 Randolph Street (at Cadillac Square) CITY OR TOWN: Detroit CODE: STATE: Michigan 26 COUNTY: Wayne CODE: 163 3. PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT: Wm. Kevin Murphy DATE OF PHOTO: July, 1974 NEGATIVE FILED AT: Wm. Kevin Murphy, 6559 St. Aubin, Detroit 48211 4. IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC. North facade.
Public Domain (Michigan Filing)
From Wikipedia
The Wayne County Building is a monumental government structure located at 600 Randolph Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. It formerly contained the Wayne County administrative offices – now located in the Guardian Building at 500 Griswold Street – and its courthouse. As Wayne County Courthouse, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. When it was completed in 1902, it was regarded as "one of the most sumptuous buildings in Michigan".The building was designed by Detroit architects John and Arthur Scott. Constructed from 1897 to 1902, it may be one of the nation's finest surviving examples of Roman Baroque Revival architecture, with a blend of Beaux-Arts and some elements of the Neoclassical style.The building stands 5 floors and was built using copper, granite, and stone. The exterior is profusely ornamented with sculpture; the interior is finished in a variety of woods, marbles, tiles, and mosaics. Built with buff Berea sandstone, the façade features a rusticated basement story and a balustrade between the third and fourth stories. At the main entrance, a broad flight of stairs leads up to a two-story Corinthian column portico. The structure boasts a tall, four-tiered, hipped roof central tower balanced by end pavilions. The courthouse tower was originally 227' 8½" tall; the copper dome and spire were redone in the 1960s, bringing its height to 247 feet.The exterior architectural sculpture, including the Anthony Wayne pediment, was executed by Detroit sculptor Edward Wagner. The other sculptures, two quadrigas, Victory and Progress and four figures on the tower, Law, Commerce, Agriculture, and Mechanics, were sculpted by New York sculptor J. Massey Rhind, and made by Salem, Ohio resident William H. Mullins in 1903.On the other end of Campus Martius was the old Detroit City Hall, and they adorned the landscape as 'bookends'.A renovation was carried out in 1987 by Quinn Evans Architects and Smith, Hinchman & Grylls Associates.On July 18, 2007, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano announced Wayne County had entered into an agreement to purchase the Guardian Building to relocate its offices from the Wayne County Building. This purchase would commence when the county's lease on their current home expires in 2008 and end a difficult tenant-landlord relationship between the owners and the County. The Detroit Free Press print edition on July 21, 2007, carried a front-page article about the current landlord offering a reduced rate for the county to remain.In July 2014, the Wayne County Commission approved the sale of the building along with a county-owned parking lot at 400 E. Fort Street to the New York-based investment group 600 Randolph SN LLC for $13.4 million. From March 2016 to October 2018, the building underwent a $7 million renovation that focused on exterior masonry, window restoration, and exterior lighting.In February 2021, the building was put up for sale for an undisclosed price.• Wayne County Building in 2014• At night, 2015• Victory and Progress by J. Massey Rhind• by J. Massey Rhind• by J. Massey Rhind• by J. Massey Rhind• by J. Massey Rhind• Pediment by Edward Wagner• Spire• One Detroit Center has similar architectural accents• From Brush and Congress streets• Renaissance Center with the Wayne County Building• Wayne County Building in 1899• Wayne County Building, circa 1900s• Farbman, Suzy and James P. Gallagher (1989). The Renaissance of the Wayne County Building, Smith Hinchman & Grylls, Inc, The old Wayne County Building Limited Partnership and Walbridge Aldinger Company, Detroit, Michigan.• Ferry, W. Hawkins (1968). The Buildings of Detroit: A History, Wayne State University Press.• Gibson, Arthur Hopkin (1975). Artists of Early Michigan: A Biographical Dictionary of Artists Native to or Active in Michigan, 1701–1900, Wayne State University Press.• Kvaran & Lockely, A Guide to the Architectural Sculpture in America, unpublished manuscript.• Meyer, Katherine Mattingly and Martin C.P. McElroy with Introduction by W. Hawkins Ferry, Hon A.I.A. (1980). Detroit Architecture A.I.A. Guide Revised Edition. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1651-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)• Nawrocki, Dennis Alan and Thomas J. Holleman (1980). Art in Detroit Public Places, Wayne State University Press.• Sobocinski, Melanie Grunow (2005). Detroit and Rome: building on the past. Regents of the University of Michigan. ISBN 0-933691-09-2.• Woodford, Arthur M. (2001). This is Detroit 1701–2001. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-2914-4.Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wayne County Building.• Wayne County Courthouse• "Emporis building ID 118499". Emporis. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020.• "Wayne County Building". SkyscraperPage.• Historic images from Detroit Public LibrarySkyscrapers and complexes • 150 West Jefferson• Ally Detroit Center• Book Tower• Broderick Tower• Buhl Building• Cadillac Place• Cadillac Square Building (demolished)• Cadillac Tower• Chrysler House• David Whitney Building• Detroit Life Building• Executive Plaza Building• Federal Reserve Building• First National Building• Fisher Building• Ford Building• Fort Pontchartrain Hotel• Francis Palms Building• Guardian Building• Hudson's Detroit• Industrial Building• Lafayette Building (demolished)• Michigan Central Station• Millender Center• One Campus Martius• One Griswold Street• One Kennedy Square• One Woodward Avenue• Penobscot Building• Renaissance Center• Riverfront Condominiums Detroit• David Stott Building• Westin Book Cadillac Hotel• Meridian Health Plan Headquarters (proposed)• Detroit Statler Hotel (demolished)• Water Board Building• Wurlitzer Building, a former Wurlitzer office buildingParks • Belle Isle• Campus Martius Park• Water Works Park (closed)Public art • Bagley Memorial Fountain• Scott Fountain• Russell Alger Memorial Fountain• General Alexander Macomb• Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument• The Spirit of Detroit• Stevens T. Mason• General Thaddeus KosciuszkoOther landmarks • Comerica Park• Detroit Athletic Club• Detroit Building• Detroit City Hall (demolished)• Detroit Opera House• Detroit Public Safety Headquarters• Detroit Club (club defunct, but building still exists)• Elwood Bar• Farwell Building• The Fillmore Detroit• Ford Auditorium (demolished)• Ford Field• Fort Shelby Hotel• Fort Street Presbyterian Church• Fox Theatre• Frank Murphy Hall of Justice• Gem Theatre• Griswold Building Senior Apartments• Hollywood Casino• Huntington Place• Joe Louis Arena (demolished)• Kennedy Fountain, a/k/a Kennedy Square (demolished)• MGM Grand Detroit• Park Avenue House• Town Apartments• Veterans' Memorial Building• Wayne County Building• William Livingstone Memorial Light, only marble lighthouse in the United States, located on Belle Isle• Women's City Club• Coleman A. Young Municipal Center• University Club (demolished)• Yondotega ClubDetroit People Mover stations • Broadway• Bricktown• Cadillac Center• Financial District• Fort/Cass• Grand Circus Park• Greektown• Huntington Place• Michigan Avenue• Millender Center• Renaissance Center• Times Square• Water SquareThis list is incomplete. The Michigan State University College of Law was in Downtown Detroit prior to 1997 and was known as the "Detroit College of Law." Low rise under 10 stories selectedParks and gardens • Belle Isle• Cranbrook• Campus Martius• Grand Circus• Metroparks• Matthaei Botanical Gardens• Riverfront parks• Detroit ZooMuseums and libraries • Cranbrook Educational Community• Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History• Detroit Historical Museum• Detroit Institute of Arts• Detroit Public Library• Detroit Science Center• Edsel and Eleanor Ford House• Fair Lane• Ford Piquette Avenue Plant• The Henry Ford• Meadowbrook Hall• Pewabic Pottery• Southfield Public Library• University of Michigan Museum of ArtReligious landmarks • Religious landmarksPerformance centers • Theatres and performing arts venuesNeighborhood Historic DistrictsSee also: List of tallest buildings in Detroit
Content available under CC BY-SA 4.0
Building Details
- Architect
- John and Arthur Scott
- Year Built
- 1897
- Building Type
- courthouse
- National Register
- Listed
- Ref# 75000972
