Manitowoc County is named for the Ojibwe Native American word “Munedoo-owk” meaning “the place of good spirit”.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Brown County and Kewaunee County
E – Lake Michigan
S – Sheboygan County
W – Calumet County and Brown County
Created: December 7, 1836
County Seat:
Manitowoc Rapids 1839 – 1853
Manitowoc 1853 – present
County Courthouse – Manitowoc
Location: 1010 South 8th Street / Washington Street
Built: 1906 – 1907
Style: Beaux Arts / Classical Revival
Architect: Christ H Tegen of Manitowoc
Contractor: George Rickman & Sons Company
Description: The building faces west and is a three story stone and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Manitowoc. The large porticos have five arches on the first story. The feature of the three principal elevations is a projecting two story colonnade of round Ionic columns extending through the second and third story and capped with a classical cornice with dentils and a stone parapet. A wide eave follows the flat roof line. On the center of the roof is a large square dome with silver colored roof and small cupola at the top. The plan of the interior is basically square with a large central square open lobby surrounded by balcony-corridors at second and third floor levels, and open full height to the central cupola. The central lobby at first floor level has a raised court four steps above the surrounding corridor and offices. The outstanding feature in this central lobby is a monumental cast iron stairway with ornamental cast iron balustrade. The interior lobby is ornamented with cast plaster columns and pilaster capitals, ceiling beams and massive arches at the third floor balcony level, decorated with colored stencil design. Interior marble wainscot, tile floors and oak woodwork are in good condition of preservation. The building has three County Circuit Court courtrooms located on the second story, with two of the courtrooms located along the north side. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 4th Judicial District.
See: The architect, Christ H Tegen of Manitowoc also designed the courthouse in Oneida County.
See: Odin J Oyen of La Crosse, Wisconsin painted murals in the courthouses located in Iowa – Osceola County: Michigan – Shiawassee County; Minnesota – Grant County; North Dakota – Cass County; South Dakota – Brown County and Yankton County; and Wisconsin – La Crosse County (demolished), Lafayette County and Langlade County.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Manitowoc County Courthouse
See: The 4th Judicial District includes Calumet County, Fond du Lac County, Green Lake County, Marquette County, Sheboygan County, Waushara County and Winnebago County.
History: The county was created in 1836 and Manitowoc Rapids was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a one story wood structure built in 1840 at a cost of $650. The courthouse burned in 1852. In 1853 the county seat was moved to Manitowoc. The second courthouse was built in 1857 to 1861. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1906 to 1907.
County Courthouse – Manitowoc
Painting – First Courthouse
Painting – Manitowoc 1882
County Circuit Court courtroom
Photos taken 2007 and 2022
Images 22*