Charlotte's Courthouse Square
Charlotte preserves Eaton County's 1845, 1885, and 1976 courthouses. A Michigan historical marker says Eaton is the state's only county with three surviving county courthouses.
The center of Charlotte is a real town square. The courthouse standing there opened in 1885, but it was not Eaton County’s first. It was the second.
Eaton County built its first courthouse in 1845. The Michigan historical marker says the county built the second one between 1883 and 1885, then moved court business to a third courthouse north of downtown in 1976. The community kept the 1885 building instead of losing it. Today its upper two floors are a public museum, and the Courthouse Square Association also cares for the 1845 courthouse and an 1873 sheriff’s residence.
Put the three buildings together and Charlotte has something no other Michigan county can claim. The state marker identifies Eaton as the only county in Michigan with three surviving county courthouses: the modest 1845 building now in Bennett Park, the 1885 courthouse on the square, and the 1976 courthouse still used up the road.
The Courthouse Square Museum is at 100 West Lawrence Avenue in downtown Charlotte.
Sources
Last reviewed against the listed sources: July 14, 2026.