Dusting this thread off... Today's journey takes us to a place in Michigan that I've barely heard of...
Even though it is unincorporated and boasts just 1,700 residents, Mio is the county seat of Oscoda County. As such, it is home to the Oscoda County Courthouse. The original wood-framed courthouse was built in 1888, shortly after Mio won the county seat. Sadly, this historic structure suffered a devastating fire on May 4, 2016, after nearly 130 years of serving the public in various capacities (most recently as county offices). It was unfortunately too damaged to be saved, though a lot of the records within were salvaged. At the time of the fire, this building was the oldest wood-framed courthouse still in use in the entire state.
A replacement courthouse was erected
in the same place as the original, opening in February 2020. Its design clearly references the original building -
The original courthouse, c. 1900 -
Source:
Oscoda County, MI
A contemporary view, sometime before the fire, when it served as county offices -
Source:
courthouses.co
The destructive fire, May 4, 2016 -
Source:
Flickr | Oscoda Herald
Source:
Oscoda County
Cleanup efforts underway, the day after the fire -
Source:
Twitter | Charles Lapastora
Rendering of the replacement county office building. Note the similarities to the original, especially at the entrance -
Source:
Oscoda County
The completed exterior of the new building, February 2020. An admirable effort to honor the historic building -
Source:
Oscoda County