Clinton County is named for DeWitt Clinton, who was a Governor of New York and an advocate for the construction of the Erie Canal.
Created: April 1, 1840
County Seat:
De Witt 1839 – 1855
St. Johns 1855 – present
County Courthouse – St. Johns
Location: 100 East State Street / North Clinton Street
Built: 1998 – 2000
Style: Modern
Architect: Wigen, Tincknell, Meyer & Associates
Contractor: Clark Construction Company of Lansing
Description: The building faces north and is a four story red and gray colored brick structure. The north front has a projecting center section with on story entrance porch on the first story. Above is a high vertical window. The first story is faced with gray colored bricks and the upper stories are red colored brick. On the center of the roof is a square red brick clock tower which contains the original clock from the old courthouse. The building also houses the City offices.
Note: The previous courthouse was designed by Oliver Hidden of Bay City and constructed by David Gibb in 1869 to 1871 for a cost of $10,015.53. The cost of present courthouse was $17,400,000.
See: The architect, Wigen, Tincknell, Meyers & Associates, designed courthouses in Ingham County, Montcalm County and Roscommon County. The contractor Clark Construction Company of Lansing constructed courthouses in Ingham County, Livingston County and Montcalm County.
See: Michigan’s County Courthouses by John Fedynsky
Courthouses:
N – Gratiot County
S – Ingham County and Eaton County
W – Ionia County
Photos taken 2008