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Ray Micham, an architect at The Collaborative, worked on the Old Lenawee County Courthouse and stands on the second floor of the courthouse in Adrian, Mich.
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Old Lenawee County Courthouse gets new life

THE BLADE/STEPHEN ZENNER

Old Lenawee County Courthouse gets new life

ADRIAN — An open house at the old Lenawee County Courthouse on Wednesday showcased to visitors the significant renovations to the historic building. 

“I've been interested in renovating and restoring this building for many years,” said Martin Marshall, 66, the county administrator, who had his retirement party the day of the open house. 

Kim Murphy, the new Lenawee County administrator, spoke of the result.

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“We returned it back to its true luster,” she said.

Former renovations to the building had hidden the architectural complexity and elegance found in higher ceilings, ornate moldings, and a more open layout. 

“There were firewalls up so you could not see the staircase,” Ms. Murphy said. The chambers in there had a ceiling that was probably about 8 feet lower than what it is now, she said.

It was this very ceiling that prompted Mr. Marshall to start the renovations to the building in Adrian’s downtown area.

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“We replaced a ceiling in this room in the old courtroom a number of years ago,” he said of the courtroom ceiling, which showed some of the older roots of the building behind it when the ceiling needed to be repaired. 

Chris Lane served as the project manager for Krieghoff-Lenawee Co., and worked on the old courthouse in the Michigan community.

“And up above, there's these beautiful coffered ceilings that are very ornate,” he said. “In the ‘70s, they had put in a false ceiling in there and lowered it quite a bit.” 

Seeing the former glory of the old Lenawee County Courthouse inspired Mr. Marshall to take action and work toward preserving and restoring it.  The building dates back to the mid-1880s.

A long list of improvements were added to the building. They included safety improvements, alarm sprinklers, improved technology, elevator upgrades, accessibility, and a couple of bathrooms.

Ray Micham, 55, a principal/architect for The Collaborative, the architecture and design firm that worked on the restoration and renovations, called it a “pretty complete modernization.”

Mr. Lane said, “You name it, it's all solid.”

“New air conditioning, new air handling unit new boilers,” he said. “We [brought] in all new electrical, new electrical fixtures” and a system to help protect the building from lightning. 

But perhaps the most striking part of the renovations is a stained-glass dome overlooking two floors, backlit from the ceiling, constructed and designed by artist Victoria Balva, who is based in Canada.

“A lot of entities...would throw in the towel and walk away from it, build a new municipal building,” Mr. Micham said. “But in terms of architectural heritage, this is really great.” 

From planning to implementation, the restoration and renovation of the old Lenawee County Courthouse took roughly four years to finish, with planning beginning in 2018. 

Initially, renovation crews with Krieghoff-Lenawee Co were delayed in their efforts by the coronavirus pandemic as they began work in early 2020.

This past December, people who had worked in the building were able to return to the restored old courthouse. “There are still little things that need to be tweaked,” Mr. Marshall said.

Overall, the renovations were received well, and people were excited to see the building. 

“I'm an Adrian girl,” said Barb Steubli, 65, who works in the courthouse. “To preserve a place like this, this makes me cry. It’s so dear to my heart.”

First Published April 20, 2022, 11:21 p.m.

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Ray Micham, an architect at The Collaborative, worked on the Old Lenawee County Courthouse and stands on the second floor of the courthouse in Adrian, Mich.  (THE BLADE/STEPHEN ZENNER)  Buy Image
Atained glass dome is pictured inside the Old Lenawee County Courthouse created by artist Victoria Bulva.  (THE BLADE/STEPHEN ZENNER)  Buy Image
A stained glass dome is pictured inside the Old Lenawee County Courthouse created by artist Victoria Bulva.  (THE BLADE/STEPHEN ZENNER)  Buy Image
A stained glass dome is pictured inside the Old Lenawee County Courthouse created by artist Victoria Bulva.  (THE BLADE/STEPHEN ZENNER)  Buy Image
Jeanette Knox, 84, takes a picture of the new stained glass dome at the Old Lenawee County Courthouse.  (THE BLADE/STEPHEN ZENNER)  Buy Image
Barb Steubli directs visitors in at the Old Lenawee County Courthouse.  (THE BLADE/STEPHEN ZENNER)  Buy Image
Doug and Barb Gilles observe the newly renovated Old Lenawee County Courthouse.  (THE BLADE/STEPHEN ZENNER)  Buy Image
Brenda Rigdon admires an old fireplace at the Old Lenawee County Courthouse with her intern Jack Wurzler.  (THE BLADE/STEPHEN ZENNER)  Buy Image
Brenda Rigdon takes pictures of distinct architectural features.  (THE BLADE/STEPHEN ZENNER)  Buy Image
Brenda Rigdon admires the outside of the Old Lenawee County Courthouse with her intern Jack Wurzler.  (THE BLADE/STEPHEN ZENNER)  Buy Image
Huston Isom looks at the stained glass dome in the ceiling of the Old Lenawee County Courthouse with his great grandfather, Toney Isom.  (THE BLADE/STEPHEN ZENNER)  Buy Image
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