History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

209

Opera chairs for court room.................. 747.50
Furniture.................................. 2,991.01
Decorating interior of building................ 3,000.00
Thermostat heat regulating system............. 535.00
Carpets, rugs and rubber matting.............. 2,800.00
Cuspidors.................................. I23.75
Clocks..................................... 50.00
Hardware extra............................. 115.50
Architect's services.......................... 5,200.00
Total cost of building as erected and furnished........$113,323.18
Cost above appropriation............................ $ IO,80.I9
Items included in the above statement not usually included are as
follows:
Furniture..................................$ 2,991.OI
Decorating interior of building................ 3,000.00
Thermostat heat system.................... 535.00
Carpets, rugs and matting.................... 2,800.00
Cuspidors.................................. 123.75
Clocks..................................... 50.00
Architect's services......................... 5,200.00
Total not usually included in giving cost of building.....$ I4,679.76
Deducting this amount from total cost as above given, building would cost........................................$ 98,623.42
PRESENT COURTHOUSE
This "beautiful temple of justice," as the board of supervisors rightly
called it, as received from the hands of Superintendent Rufus Swinehart, who represented John G. Schmidt, the contractor, of Toledo, on
the 2d of November, I905, is built of gray Cleveland sandstone and
fronts nearly ninety feet on West Huron street. Its imposing tower
of brick bears a statute of Justice of heroic size, about one hundred
and twelve feet above the level of the street. The two entrances and
doorways are flanked by two massive stone columns twenty-six feet in
height. Red entered largely into the color scheme, with tiled corridors
and marble wainscoting. Rest rooms for both men and women are in
the basement, which also contains offices for the commissioner of schools
and superintendents of the poor and a large audience room used chiefly
for school examinations. On the first floor are the other county offices
and the accommodations for the probate judge and on the second floor,
the circuit court room, which is beautifully decorated; office of the
prosecuting attorney, the supervisors' room and the judges private room.
Two features are especially noticeable on the first, or main floor.
Opposite the Saginaw street entrance and occupying much of the wall
space is a large and impressive painting of the great chief Pontiac, and
at the foot of the stairs as the visitor passes into the courthouse from
West Huron street, is a large marble tablet which presents a record