Paw Paw City Hall | |
Location | 111 E. Michigan Ave., Paw Paw, Michigan |
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Coordinates | 42°13′5″N 85°53′29″W / 42.21806°N 85.89139°W |
Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
Built | 1842 |
Built by | Reuben E. Churchill, Stafford Godfrey, & Henry W. Rhodes |
Architectural style | Greek Revival |
NRHP reference No. | 72000657 [1] |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | August 21, 1972 |
Designated MSHS | December 19, 1971 [2] |
The Paw Paw City Hall is a government building located at 111 East Michigan Avenue in Paw Paw, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971 [2] and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. [1]
Van Buren County was originally platted in 1829, and in 1837, the Board of Supervisors chose Paw Paw as the county seat. [3] County business was conducted in schools and private buildings for a few years, until the county decided to construct its own building. [4] About $2900 was allocated to contractors Reuben E. Churchill, Stafford Godfrey, and Henry W. Rhodes. [4] Construction began on this building in 1842 at the site of the current Van Buren County Courthouse, and the building was occupied in 1845. [2] [3]
In 1900, it was decided to construct a new courthouse for the county, [3] and this structure was moved from its original site to the current location. [2] It was first used as a feed store, [4] then as a youth center during the Great Depression, and is now used as Paw Paw's city hall. [2]
The Paw Paw City Hall is a two-story temple-style Greek Revival structure clad in clapboard with a gable roof. [2] The front facade features a portico with six columns sheltering a double-door front entrance with a Palladian window above. [2]
The building once had a classical cupola on a square base. [2] atop the roof. The cupola was removed in stages, and is now entirely absent.