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Ann Arbor 200

The Washtenaw County Courthouses in LEGO

Year
2024

By the 1950s Ann Arbor had outgrown its old, ornate courthouse. The 1877 structure was falling into disrepair, but stipulations limited its relocation. So our county’s leaders embarked upon a novel solution: constructing a new building right around the old!

LEGO builder extraordinaire David Lorch recreated our courthouse’s unique construction with hands-on help. Attendees at our December 7, 2024 event assembled sections of the large-scale LEGO model of the newer courthouse surrounding the older courthouse's LEGO replica. 

Below you will find the history of Washtenaw County's three courthouses, a time lapse of the event, photos of the completed model, and a 360° video of the two courthouses. The LEGO models will be on exhibit through January 10, 2025 on the third floor of the Downtown Library.

 
 
Courthouse Slideshow 1
Courthouse Slideshow 2
Courthouse Slideshow 3
Courthouse Slideshow 4
Courthouse Slideshow 5
Courthouse Slideshow 6
Courthouse Slideshow 7
Courthouse Slideshow 8
Courthouse Slideshow 9
Courthouse Slideshow 10
Courthouse Slideshow 11
Courthouse Slideshow 12
Courthouse Slideshow 13
Courthouse Slideshow 14
Courthouse Slideshow 15
Read more at: "The Three Courthouses of Washtenaw County" by Grace Shackman for the Ann Arbor Observer, October 1990
 

Playhead Still for LEGO Event Timelapse

A time lapse of our December 7th event
 
Old Courthouse Solo
Corner of Main & Huron
Entrance at Main & Huron
Relief at Main & Huron
Full Building From Huron Street
From 4th Avenue
The Back of the Old Courthouse
The Nearness of the Old & New Courthouses
From Ann St
From Main St
Photos of the completed courthouse models
 

Playhead Still for LEGO Courthouse Walkaround

360° view of the completed courthouses

Washtenaw County Courthouse, April 27, 2020 Photographer: Amy Cantu

Washtenaw County Courthouse, April 27, 2020 image
Year:
2020
Copyright
Creative Commons (Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share-alike)

Fire When Ready, July 1969

Fire When Ready, July 1969 image
Year:
1969
Copyright
Copyright Protected

Parking On The Lawn At The Courthouse, March 1947

Parking On The Lawn At The Courthouse, March 1947 image
Year:
1947
Published In:
Ann Arbor News, March 11, 1947
Caption:
NO IMPROVEMENT: The appearance of the courthouse, which itself could stand a dressing-up, has not been improved lately by an unofficial conversion of part of the lawn into a parking area, as shown in the above photograph. The supervisors' building and grounds committee previously has sanctioned use of the driveway and paved space next to the building for parking by county officials whose work involved frequent trips to and from the building. However, a member of the committee said such wholesale parking had never been authorized and expressed his intention of having the question settled at today's meeting of the board. County officials and employes previously have asked the board to provide some parking space for their cars.
Copyright
Copyright Protected

Old Washtenaw County Courthouse Interior, September 1938 Photographer: Eck Stanger

Old Washtenaw County Courthouse Interior, September 1938 image
Year:
1938
Published In:
Ann Arbor News, September 7, 1938
Caption:
UNPROTECTED AGAINST FIRE: Should a fire break out tonight in the courthouse, these court papers, records and legal volumes have no protection. In fact, they probably would help make the fire burn faster. For lack of a better and safer place, they are stored in one of the third-floor rooms which was lost as office space when the floor was condemned and ordered vacated by the state fire marshal.
Copyright
Copyright Protected
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