Wayne County Building

Wayne County Courthouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Michigan State Historic Site
Location in Michigan
Interactive map showing the location for Wayne County Courthouse
Location	600 Randolph Street Detroit,Michigan
Coordinates	42.3321°N 83.0424°W/42.3321; -83.0424
Area	2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built	1897–1902
Architect	John and Arthur Scott
Architectural style	Roman Baroque Revival,Beaux-Arts,Neoclassical,Classical Revival
NRHP referenceNo.	75000972
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	February 24, 1975
Designated MSHS	September 17, 1974

TheWayne County Buildingis a monumental government structure located at 600 Randolph Street inDowntownDetroit,Michigan.It formerly contained theWayne Countyadministrative offices – now located in theGuardian Buildingat 500 Griswold Street – and itscourthouse.AsWayne County Courthouse,it was listed on theNational Register of Historic Placesin 1975.When it was completed in 1902, it was regarded as "one of the most sumptuous buildings in Michigan".

Architecture

The building was designed by Detroit architects John and Arthur Scott.Constructed from 1897 to 1902,it may be one of the nation's finest surviving examples ofRoman Baroque Revivalarchitecture, with a blend ofBeaux-Artsand some elements of theNeoclassicalstyle.

The building stands 5 floors and was built using copper,granite,andstone.The exterior is profusely ornamented with sculpture; the interior is finished in a variety of woods,marbles,tiles,andmosaics.Built with buffBerea sandstone,the façade features arusticatedbasement story and a balustrade between the third and fourth stories. At the main entrance, a broad flight of stairs leads up to a two-storyCorinthian columnportico. The structure boasts a tall, four-tiered,hipped roofcentral tower balanced by endpavilions.The courthouse tower was originally 227' 8½ "tall; the copperdomeandspirewere redone in the 1960s, bringing its height to 247 feet.

The exteriorarchitectural sculpture,including theAnthony Waynepediment,was executed by Detroit sculptorEdward Wagner.The other sculptures, twoquadrigas,VictoryandProgressand four figures on the tower,Law,Commerce,Agriculture,andMechanics,were sculpted by New York sculptorJ. Massey Rhind,and made bySalem, OhioresidentWilliam H. Mullinsin 1903.

On the other end ofCampus Martiuswas the oldDetroit City Hall,and they adorned the landscape as 'bookends'.

Arenovationwas carried out in 1987 byQuinn Evans ArchitectsandSmith, Hinchman & GryllsAssociates.

Recent news

On July 18, 2007, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano announced Wayne County had entered into an agreement to purchase theGuardian Buildingto relocate its offices from the Wayne County Building. This purchase would commence when the county's lease on their current home expires in 2008 and end a difficult tenant-landlord relationship between the owners and the County.TheDetroit Free Pressprint edition on July 21, 2007, carried a front-page article about the current landlord offering a reduced rate for the county to remain.

In July 2014, the Wayne County Commission approved the sale of the building along with a county-owned parking lot at 400 E. Fort Street to a New York investment group for $13.4 million. The building is expected to be renovated for single tenant occupancy.

Gallery

• 
  Wayne County Building in 2014
• 
  At night, 2015
• 
  Victory and Progress
  byJ. Massey Rhind
• 
  by J. Massey Rhind
• 
  by J. Massey Rhind
• 
  by J. Massey Rhind
• 
  by J. Massey Rhind
• 
  Pediment
  byEdward Wagner
• 
  Spire
• 
  One Detroit Centerhas similar architectural accents
• 
  From Brush and Congress streets
• 
  Renaissance Centerwith the Wayne County Building
• 
  Wayne County Building in 1899
• 
  Wayne County Building, circa 1900s

Further reading

• Farbman, Suzy and James P. Gallagher (1989).The Renaissance of the Wayne County Building,Smith Hinchman & Grylls, Inc, The old Wayne County Building Limited Partnership and Walbridge Aldinger Company, Detroit, Michigan.
• Ferry, W. Hawkins (1968).The Buildings of Detroit: A History,Wayne State University Press.
• Gibson, Arthur Hopkin (1975).Artists of Early Michigan: A Biographical Dictionary of Artists Native to or Active in Michigan, 1701–1900,Wayne State University Press.
• Kvaran & Lockely,A Guide to the Architectural Sculpture in America,unpublished manuscript.
• Meyer, Katherine Mattingly and Martin C.P. McElroy with Introduction by W. Hawkins Ferry, Hon A.I.A. (1980).Detroit Architecture A.I.A. Guide Revised Edition.Wayne State University Press.ISBN0-8143-1651-4.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Nawrocki, Dennis Alan and Thomas J. Holleman (1980).Art in Detroit Public Places,Wayne State University Press.
• Sobocinski, Melanie Grunow (2005).Detroit and Rome: building on the past.Regents of the University of Michigan.ISBN0-933691-09-2.
• Woodford, Arthur M. (2001).This is Detroit 1701–2001.Wayne State University Press.ISBN0-8143-2914-4.

External links

• Wayne County Courthouse
• "Emporis building ID 118499".Emporis.Archived from the original on July 23, 2020.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
• "Wayne County Building".SkyscraperPage.
• Historic imagesfromDetroit Public Library