Summit County is named for the highest elevation along the Ohio Canal called the “Portage Summit”.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Cuyahoga County
E – Portage County and Stark County
S – Stark County
W – Wayne County and Medina County
Created: March 3, 1840 
County Seat:
Akron 1840 – present
County Courthouse – Akron
Location: 209 South High Street / Church Street
Built: 1905 – 1908
Style: Second Renaissance Revival
Architect: John Milton Dyer of Cleveland
Contractor: George W Carmichael and Company
Description: The building faces west and is a three story buff colored Ohio sandstone and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Akron. The building has a raised basement. The west front has a small pediment above the doorway. The first story has horizontal stone work with arched windows. The second and third stories have recessed windows. A wide cornice runs along the flat roof line. The building houses the Court of Common Pleas – Probate Division. The building was renovated in 1987. In 1922 an annex was built on the east side.
Note: The design included the use of two male statues and two lions at the entrance. The two seated males, one with a scroll and the other with a sheathed sword, represent law and justice. The lions are symbols of the law’s majesty. In order to position the lions without cracking the stone base blocks, large blocks of ice were placed between the lions and the stone bases. As the ice slowly melted, the lions gently came to a rest on their stone bases. The two statues of Law and Justice were carved by Herman Marzner of Cleveland.
Note: The architect John Milton Dyer of Cleveland and the contractor George W Carmichael and Company also designed and constructed the courthouse in Lake County.
See: Ohio Court of Appeals – Akron ( 9th Appellate District )
County Courthouse Annex – Akron
Location: 205 South High Street / Church Street
Built: 2003 – 2005
Style: Modern
Architect: GDP Associates, Braun & Steidl Architects
Contractor: Donley’s Inc.
Description: The building faces west and is a three story white colored limestone structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Akron on the north side of the courthouse. The first story windows are arch and the center section on the west side has a large glass window area. The roof line is flat. The building house the County Court of Common Pleas – General and Domestic Relations Divisions.
See: For the Ninth Appellate District Court of Appeals see Ohio Court of Appeals – Akron
History: The county was created in 1840 and Akron was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a two story structure built by Ithiel Mills in 1842 to 1843. An addition was built in 1867. The second and present courthouse was constructed in 1905 to 1908 at a cost of $337,709.
County Courthouse – Akron
Photos taken 2010