Mason County Courthouses

 Ludington became the Mason County seat in 1873, when county offices were moved from the now vanished village of Little Sauble. At that time, Ludington was the county's most prosperous settlement. Formally called Pere Marquette, Ludington was platted in 1867 by Milwaukee lumber man James Ludington. The town  served as a shipping center for West Michigan lumber. Erected in 1893-94, this is the fourth structure to serve as Mason County's courthouse since the county was established in 1855. Grand Rapids architect Sydney J. Osgood designed the Richardsonian Romanesque structure, which was built by Jacobsville sandstone from the Upper Peninsula. The courthouse is listed in the national register of historic places.