Ottawa County is named for the Ottawa Native Americans and the name “Ottawa” means “trader” in their language.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Lucas County, Lake Erie and Ontario
E – Lake Erie and Ontario
S – Erie County and Sandusky County
W – Wood County
Created: March 6, 1840
County Seat:
Port Clinton 1840 – present
County Courthouse – Port Clinton
Location: 315 Madison Street / East 4th Street
Built: 1898 – 1901
Style: Richardsonian Romanesque
Architect: Wing & Mahurin
Contractor: Caldwell & Drake
Description: The building faces west and is a three story brown colored sandstone structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds and has North Amherst Sandstone and pink colored Tennessee Marble. The building is constructed around the central stairwell that rises to the second floor and forms a vault. Four scenes depicting Ottawa County are painted on the walls outside the courtroom: “Quarrying,” “Farming,” “Fishing,” and “Fruit Growing.” These four original industries of the county also define in large measure the significant immigrant groups that settled here. The French were the fishermen, the Danes were the farmers, the Germans were the fruit growers, and the Slavic peoples worked the quarries. The chandelier, hanging from the middle, was taken from the courtroom when it was remodeled and the ceiling lowered. The square tower, located in the center of the roof, rises to 132 feet above the ground. The top of the tower contains a belfry for the clock chimes, and the clock faces are located in gables similar to, but smaller than, those below. The architect was Wing & Mahurin and the contractor was Caldwell & Drake.
See: The courthouse in Starke County, Indiana is similar in design.
Note: The cost of construction of the present courthouse was $61,500.
County Courthouse – Port Clinton
Photos taken 2015