Waupaca County is named for a Menominee word meaning “white sand bottom” or “brave young her”.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Shawano County
E – Shawano County and Outagamie County
S – Winnebago County and Waushara County
W – Portage County
Created: February 17, 1851
County Seat:
Mukwa 1851 – 1854
Waupaca 1854 – present
County Courthouse – Waupaca
Location: 811 Harding Street / Royalton Street
Built: 1988 – 1989
Style: Modern
Architect: Sauter Seaborne Architects
Contractor: P G Miron Construction Company Inc.
Description: The building faces south and is a three story buff colored brick, stone, glass and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Waupaca. The south front of the building has two large square light colored brick towers with tired levels between and with an extending stone faced portico over the glass entrance on the ground floor. Other brick towers are placed around the building. The windows are horizontal with white stone facing between each story. In the interior the corridor runs east-west along the windows on the south side. There are three County Circuit Court courtrooms along the north side of the third story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 8th Judicial District. On the north side is the four story County Law Enforcement Center designed by Venture Architects and constructed by Grunau Project Development, Inc in 1996 to 2001.
See: The 8th Judicial District includes Brown County, Door County, Kewaunee County, Marinette County, Oconto County and Outagamie County.
History: The county was created in 1851 and Mukwa was selected as the county seat. The county officers first met at the home of H Rolph. In 1854, the county seat was moved to Waupaca. The first courthouse was a two story frame structure erected in 1855. The second courthouse was designed by William Waters in 1882. An addition was designed by William Waters and constructed in 1906. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1988 to 1989.
County Courthouse – Waupaca
County Circuit Court courtroom
County Law Enforcement Center – Waupaca
Photos taken 2007 and 2022
Images 14*