Just under the deadline, the current Wayne County Courthouse was completed in late 1899 at a cost of approximately $32,000.
In observance of that fact, the courthouse staff is working on plans to celebrate the building's Q125 with a number of activities throughout the remainder of 2024.
Several articles will be published in coming months in the Wayne Herald, highlighting the building's 125-year history and significance within the county.
Wayne County's first courthouse was located at LaPorte, southeast of Wayne. However, when the railroad did not go through the town, changes were made.
The following article about the early history of the courthouse was published in a special edition of the Wayne Herald on June 28, 1976.
County seat moved to Wayne; last courthouse occupied 1899
By Lavon Beckman
Probably one of the most impressive buildings in Wayne, or in Wayne County, is the courthouse, located at 510 Pearl Street.
When the original town was platted, Wayne was not the county seat and it was not known that the courthouse would ever be located here.
The first building was a small frame structure on the C.E. Hunter homestead, which was built in 1870. It was later used as a schoolhouse at La Porte. In 1874, the county voted bonds and a brick courthouse was built at La Porte.
After the railroad came through the present townsite of Wayne, a group of men, interested in the removal of the county seat to Wayne, agreed to furnish a courthouse to the county, free of rent, for a period of 10 years. The Town Hall Association was formed and in 1883 a brick veneer structure was erected at a cost of around $4,000. This was located at Fourth and Main Streets, directly east of the present Baptist Church. It was occupied as a courthouse in the spring of that year.
On July 4, 1884, the building was destroyed by fire, thought to have been started by a prisoner who was confined in the sheriff's office. Later it was concluded that it would have been impossible for the prisoner to have been the cause of the blaze and the origin of the fire remained a mystery.
The only newspaper of the time was printed and published in the building. These files were destroyed, leaving little written evidence of the county history prior to 1884.
The owners of the building collected $2,500 insurance money and were confronted by their guarantee to furnish a courthouse to the county. They proceeded to erect a structure using insurance money. The frame building served as a courthouse for several years.
In 1882, the owners of the Crawford and Browns' Addition donated Block 2 to Wayne County. The deed contained the provision that "the said block be used by the county of Wayne to put county courthouse and other county buildings thereon. Said courthouse to be erected thereon within 20 years from the date of this deed and in case no courthouse of the value of $5,000 shall be erected within 20 years from the date on said Block 2 afore said, the said land shall revert to grantors."
The sheriff's residence and jail were built on this square in 1885.
On several occasions, an attempt was made to vote bonds for the erection of a new courthouse, but it wasn't until the 20 year period had nearly expired that such a course was taken. Twenty-five thousand dollars in bonds were issued and a contract was let for $26,500 exclusive of fixtures.
The present building was completed at a cost of about $32,00, its style of architecture that of Norman Chateau. It was completed and ready for occupancy on Dec. 28, 1899.
