Ottawa County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Ottawa County Courthouse, at West Fourth and Madison Streets in Port Clinton, was built between 1898 and 1901 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. Wing and Mahurin designed it, and Caldwell and Drake of Columbus, Indiana, served as general contractors for a reported cost of $61,500. The two-story building has a Marblehead limestone foundation and rock-faced Amherst sandstone walls. Large arches frame the entrance and windows, wall dormers end in big gables, and the hipped and gabled roof is covered in ceramic tile. A square tower rises about 132 feet and holds a belfry and clock faces. Inside, a central stairwell rises to a vault painted with four scenes of the county economy: quarrying, farming, fishing and fruit growing. The design was closely modeled on the Wood County Courthouse by Yost and Packard. It replaced the county's first courthouse, which had been enlarged in the 1860s. It is recognized as an excellent public example of its style and remains in use.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an excellent example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture in a public building. It was closely modeled on the Wood County Courthouse by Yost and Packard, and Wing and Mahurin designed no other extant nineteenth-century courthouses in Ohio.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 74001588, listed May 3, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | W. 4th and Madison Sts., Port Clinton |
|---|---|
| County | Ottawa County |
| Listed | May 3, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001588 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century; built 1898-1901 |
| Architect / builder | Wing and Mahurin (architects); Caldwell and Drake of Columbus, Indiana (general contractors) |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in excellent condition, occupied and in government use as the county courthouse, with the nomination noting it should meet county needs for many years. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 41.50970, -82.94025 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 74001588.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q130772555
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.