Clare County, Michigan, sits smack-dab in the path of US-127. I pass through it frequently on the way to my family’s getaway property, but I’ve never really explored the area. Some counties are home to majestic old courthouses that draw tourists from miles away, but I think Clare is probably best known for its Cops & Doughnuts bakery and the enormous homegrown Jay’s Sporting Goods store. Having been to both, along with the Clare County Courthouse in Harrison, I understand why.
Clare County was created in 1840 and first called Kaykakee1, a Chippewa word that meant “chicken hawk,” after a Sauk Indian Chief2. Three years later, it was renamed after County Clare in Ireland. In 1859, the place was made part of Isabella County for judicial purposes until 1871, when the community of Farwell was made county seat.
The first courthouse in Farwell cost $500 but was destroyed by fire in 1877. The second, built by A.N. Gebhart, was rented to the county3. In 1879, officials decamped for the prosperous village of Harrison. There, a two-story, frame courthouse was built in 1877. The oblong building measured five by three bays and featured a hipped roof, a square cupola, and a covered porch that concealed its entrance4.
Eventually, the 1879 courthouse was expanded and remodeled with a two-story, symmetrical brick front that measured seven bays wide. Access was granted via a short stairway framed by two small turrets5. Meanwhile, Clare County was growing, thanks to natural gas wells that supplied fuel to Saginaw, Bay City, Lansing, and Grand Rapids6!
A year after the courthouse was first built, Clare County’s population stood at 4,187 people. By the time the 1960s rolled around, it had blown up to more than 11,000! It was time for a new courthouse, and officials hired architects Brysselbout-Starke– Hacker & Simon Inc. to design a thoroughly-modern structure. The present courthouse was completed on Harrison’s original square in 1967.
The current Clare County Courthouse faces north and sits across from Harrison Community School, which it strongly resembles. The single-story structure features east and west wings that project from its recessed facade. Entry to the building is gained from under a metal panel supported by two nondescript columns. Concrete paneling wraps around the main entryway and features some great vintage typography!
The buff-brick courthouse features windows vertically framed by white infill panels that break the bulk of the structure up. Apparently, additions to the south side of the building were made in 1994 and 19987. Today, the south side of the building opens into an attractive foyer with built-in wooden benches that resembles the lobby of my hometown’s Yorktown Middle School.
Michigan is home to some great historic courthouses that survive as real landmarks, but it’s also home to some stinkers. I love the typography of the Clare County Courthouse and appreciate its utility, but I’m afraid it’s part of the latter category from an aesthetic standpoint.
It’s hard to fault the architects, though. The abundance of timber in Michigan made it an obvious ingredient for courthouses, but framing courthouses in wood probably contributed to their shorter lifespans. I’m sure the current Clare County Courthouse was built in response to that.
The Clare County Courthouse might not reach the pinnacle of architectural exuberance, but at least it sits to administer justice for those speeding through town from Jay’s or Cops & Donuts on their way to Houghton Lake or parts beyond. I can’t fault it for that, and I hope the functional building serves this rural community for many more years.
TL;DR
Clare County (pop. 31,352, 47/83)
Harrison (pop. 2,170)
10/83 photographed
Built: 1967
Cost: Unknown
Architect: Brysselbout-Starke– Hacker & Simon, Inc.
Style: Modern
Courthouse Square: Shelbyville Square
Height: 1 story
Current Use: County offices and courts
Photographed: 4/27/2018
Sources Cited
1 Dawson, G. (1840). Acts of the Legislature of the State of Michigan Passed at the Annual Session of 1840 [Detroit]. Web. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
2 Cole, M. (1974). Michigan’s Courthouses Old And New. Maurice Cole [Oakland County]. Book.
3 Deacon, J. “Clare County”. American Courthouses. 2008. Web. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
4 Vincent, K. (2018). Cou89rthouse History. Web. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
5 (See footnote 4).
6 (See footnote 2).
7 (See footnote 3).
It looks a lot like a school building from that era.