Wayne County Courthouse | |
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  Location in Michigan | |
 Interactive map showing the location for Wayne County Courthouse | |
| Location | 600 Randolph Street Detroit,Michigan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°19′56″N83°02′33″W / 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 reference No. | 75000972 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | February 24, 1975 |
| Designated MSHS | September 17, 1974 |
TheWayne County Building is a monumental government structure located at 600 Randolph Street inDowntownDetroit,Michigan. It formerly contained theWayne County administrative offices – now located in theGuardian Building at 500 Griswold Street – and itscourthouse. AsWayne County Courthouse, it was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1975.[1] When it was completed in 1902, it was regarded as "one of the most sumptuous buildings in Michigan".[2]
The building was designed by Detroit architects John and Arthur Scott.[3] Constructed from 1897 to 1902,[4] it may be one of the nation's finest surviving examples ofRoman Baroque Revival architecture, with a blend ofBeaux-Arts and some elements of theNeoclassical style.
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.[5] Built with buffBerea sandstone, the façade features arusticated basement 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 column portico. The structure boasts a tall, four-tiered,hipped roof central tower balanced by endpavilions. The courthouse tower was originally 227' 8½" tall; the copperdome andspire were 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,Victory andProgress and four figures on the tower,Law,Commerce,Agriculture, andMechanics, were sculpted by New York sculptorJ. Massey Rhind, and made bySalem, Ohio residentWilliam H. Mullins in 1903.[6]
On the other end ofCampus Martius was the oldDetroit City Hall, and they adorned the landscape as 'bookends'.[3]
Arenovation was carried out in 1987 byQuinn Evans Architects andSmith, Hinchman & Grylls Associates.[3][5]
On July 18, 2007, Wayne County ExecutiveRobert Ficano announced Wayne County had entered into an agreement to purchase theGuardian Building to 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.[7] TheDetroit Free Press print edition on July 21, 2007, carried a front-page article about the current landlord offering a reduced rate for the county to remain.[8]
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 the New York-based investment group 600 Randolph SN LLC for $13.4 million. From March 2016 to October 2018, the building underwent a $7 million renovation that focused on exterior masonry, window restoration, and exterior lighting.[9][10]
In February 2021, the building was put up for sale for an undisclosed price.[11]
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