Second Arenac County Courthouse

Arenac County was organized in 1883 from sections that had been part Bay County.[2] Omer was selected as the county seat and a courthouse was built- In 1889 the courthouse burned down, and the county hired local contractor and sawmill owner Angus McDonnell to construct this building on the same site.[2] The building was finished in 1890 at a cost of $2970.75.[3] In 1891, a county-wide vote selected Standish as the county seat, and the county government was moved. In 1893,[2] the vacated court building was sold to the Omer Lodge of the Free and Acceptable Order of Masons for $500.[3] At various times, the Masonic Lodge allowed the village to use the structure as a village hall, fire station, and jail.[2]

Facing heavy repair costs, the Masons moved out of the building for smaller quarters in 1997.[3][4] The structure was purchased by Carol and Robert Britt, who completed some repairs and restoration work with the intention of converting the structure into a museum. In 2004, the Britts then sold the building to the Arenac County Historical Society.[3] The building currently serves as the Society's Historical Courthouse Museum, known as "Ye Olde Courthouse Masonic Hall".[3]

The Second Arenac County Courthouse is a rectangular symmetric two-story frame structure covered with clapboard with a hip roof.[2] The entrance is through a porch supported with slender columns with a slightly projecting bay. An elaborate fanlight window sits above the entrance, and gable above features fishscale shingles and sunburst carving. A graceful cupola tops the structure.[2]

• Arenac County Historical Society

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