Caro in Tuscola County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Tuscola County Courthouse

Photographed by Joel Seewald, February 22, 2017

1. Tuscola County Courthouse Marker

Inscription. Peter DeWitt Bush (1818-1913), the second permanent resident of the village of Caro, donated this site for the county courthouse square in 1866. Then he, along with two other pioneer settlers, moved an old frame church to the site to serve as the county's first courthouse. In 1873 the county replaced the former church with a brick courthouse that served the community's needs until 1932, when the present Art Deco style structure was completed. Designed by Detroit architect William H. Kuni and built by Cecil M. Kelly, a Caro native, the courthouse is faced with Indiana limestone. Situated on the same site as the old brick courthouse, this $180,000 structure was completely paid for when it was dedicated on January 24, 1933, by means of a one-mill, five-year tax levy.

Erected 1984 by Michigan History Division, Department of State. (Marker Number L1045.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Government & Politics. In addition, it is included in the Art Deco, and the Michigan Historical Commission series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is January 24, 1933.

Location. 43° 29.459′ N, 83° 23.61′ W. Marker is in Caro, Michigan, in Tuscola County. It is at the intersection of North State

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Street (State Highway 81) and East Sherman Street, on the right when traveling east on North State Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 440 North State Street, Caro MI 48723, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Michigan’s Thumb.

It is also in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Eastern White Pine (a few steps from this marker); Tuscola County Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Tuscola County Advertiser (within shouting distance of this marker); Caro Masonic Temple (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Presbyterian Church of Caro (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Meeting of the Caro Rotary Club (approx. ¼ mile away); Trinity Episcopal Church (approx. ¼ mile away); William H. Carson House (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Caro.

Also see . . .
1. Tuscola County Courthouse. An excerpt from the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (1996):

The home of Tuscola County government since its completion in 1933, the Tuscola County Courthouse is an outstanding example of Art Deco design in Michigan and one of only seven Art Deco courthouses in the state.... The cornerstone-laying ceremony took place May 27, 1932.... The building was dedicated on January 24.... Tuscola County is of seven of Michigan's eighty-one counties which occupy Art Deco Courthouses. The oldest of the state's Art Deco courthouses, the Macomb County Courthouse in Mt. Clemens, dates from 1928-29, while the youngest is the 1939
Photographed by Joel Seewald, February 22, 2017

2. Tuscola County Courthouse and Marker
Gladwin County one in Gladwin. The 1932-33 Tuscola County building is the state's second oldest example. It is perhaps the most influential among these buildings in that its basic form, floor plan, and even some of the finishes were followed closely in the 1934-35 Alpena County Courthouse which [William H.] Kuni was commissioned to design shortly after compleing work on the Tuscola courthouse.

(Submitted on November 1, 2024, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)

2. Tuscola County Courthouse. Wikipedia article (Submitted on November 1, 2024, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)

Tuscola County Courthouse image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Joel Seewald, February 22, 2017

3. Tuscola County Courthouse

Credits. This page was last revised on November 1, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 27, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 783 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 27, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.