Oconto County - American Courthouses

Oconto County is named for a Native American settlement and the Oconto River, whose name means “plentiful with fish”.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Forest County and Marinette County

E – Marinette County and Door County

S – Brown County and Shawano County

W – Shawano County, Menominee County and Langlade County

Created: February 6, 1851

County Seat:

Oconto 1851 – present

County Courthouse – Oconto

Location: 301 Washington Street / Collins Avenue

Built: 1891 – 1892

Style: Romanesque Revival / Classical Revival

Architect: Charles H Rau & Robert George Kirsch

Contractor: William Kasten.

Description: The building faces south and is a two story buff brick and stone structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Oconto. There is a stone foundation. The south south front has three sections with peaked roofs. The center section has a large arch at the first story entrance with four vertical windows on the second story. An elliptical medallion in the tympanum of the second-story arch overhead contains the profiles of a fish and a log, recalling the county’s sustaining industries in the late nineteenth century. Terra cotta ornament and a finial trim the peak of the center gable. On the center of the roof is a square dome with clock and rounded red colored roof and gold colored statue of Justice. In the interior, the courtroom is located on south side of the second story and is now used as the County Commissioner’s Meeting Room. The building was completely refurbished in 1907. The architect was Foeller & Schober. The Jail Annex was added on east side in 1960 and a West Courthouse Annex on the west side was constructed in 1975 to 1976 to house offices. The architect was Bray Associates Architects Inc. of Sheboygan. In 1991 to 1992, the three story brick and concrete East Courthouse Annex was constructed on the east side. A long corridor runs north-south along the east side of the first story and two County Circuit Court courtrooms are located along the west side of the first story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 8th Judicial District. The architect was Sauter Seaborne Architects / Engineers, Ltd. And the contractor was Grow Construction Management Inc.

See: The architect, Robert George Kirsch designed courthouses in Missouri in Adair County, Carroll County, Cooper County, Polk County and Vernon County, in Texas in Hemphill County and Randall County, and in Wisconsin in Waukesha County.

See: National Register of Historic Places – Oconto County Courthouse

See: The 8th Judicial District includes Brown County, Door County, Kewaunee County, Marinette County, Outagamie County and Waupaca County.

History: The county was created in 1851 and Oconto was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was built in 1857. The second and present courthouse was constructed in 1891 to 1892 at a cost of $50,000. A fire in 1907 destroyed the upper story. The West Courthouse Annex was constructed in 1975 to 1976. The East Courthouse Annex was constructed in 1991 to 1992.