Monroe County | US Courthouses

Monroe County is named for James Monroe, who was President of the United States from 1817 to 1825.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Washtenaw County and Wayne County

E – Ontario, Canada

S – Lucas County, Ohio

W – Lenawee County

Created: July 14, 1817

County Seat:

Monroe 1817 – present

County Courthouse – Monroe

Location: 106 East First Street / Washington Street

Built: 1878 – 1880

Style: Renaissance Revival

Architect: Edward O Fallis of Toledo, Ohio

Contractor: Keegan & Maurer

Description: The building faces north and is a two story cream colored limestone structure. The building is located on on the landscaped grounds of the Public Square in the center of Monroe. The building has a four story square clock tower on the northwest corner with steep roof and a small parapet at the top. The front has three high arches with double columns between. In the interior, the modern entrance has a high atrium. The historic courtroom is located on the north side of the third story and has a gallery on the north and west sides. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 38th Judicial District, County District Court and County Probate Court. On the east and south are the new additions. The building has had three additions in 1954 along Washington Street, when a four story addition was added. In 1966 another addition was added along First Street. In 1986 on the site of the former Jail, the final addition was added. The architect was TMP Associates of Bloomfield Hills. The building was restored after a fire on April 13, 1992.

See: The courthouse is similar to the courthouse in Schuyler County, Illinois.

See: The architect, Edward Oscar Fallis & Company of Toledo, Ohio also designed the courthouses in Lenawee County; and in Illinois in Schuyler County, in Indiana in Noble County, in Kansas in Montgomery County; and in Ohio in Paulding County, and in Williams County.

History: The county was created in 1817 and Monroe was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a two story log structure built in 1818. The second courthouse was stone structure built in 1839 on the site of the present courthouse. On February 28, 1879 the building was almost destroyed by fire. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1879 to 1880 at a cost of $25,000. The cost to restore the fire damage in 1992 was $930,000. The cost of the 1954 addition was $270,000, the cost of the 1966 addition was $400,000 and the cost of the 1986 addition was $4,000,000.

See: Michigan’s County Courthouses by John Fedynsky

Note: The lowest point in Michigan is Lake Erie at 571 feet ( 1748 meters ) which is located in the county.