Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. A historic map-sheet match is not published yet. The record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary.
one of 21 National Register listings in Ottawa County · listed in 1974 · category: Building.
Sources: the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 2,838 specimens collected within 10 miles of Ottawa County Courthouse between 1828 and 1975: 2,539 Animalia, 264 Plantae, 31 Fungi, 3 Chromista, 1 Unrecorded. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by A. D. Selby, A. J. Pieters, A. Woolman and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.
| Image | Species | Year | Collected by | Where, as recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Amblema plicata (Say, 1817) | 1898 | not recorded | Portage River |
 | Lampsilis radiata radiata (Gmelin, 1791) | 1898 | United States Fish Commission | Sandusky Bay |
 | Pyganodon grandis (Say, 1829) | 1898 | United States Fish Commission & W. Kendall | Sandusky Bay near mouth of Sandusky River |
 | Pseudoleskea rigescens Lindb. | 1828 | Thomas Drummond | Banks of the Portage River |
 | Hydroprogne caspia (Pallas, 1770) | 1865 | Trautman, M. B. (Milton Bernard) | Winous Pt., Bay Twp, Ottawa, Ohio, USA |
 | Charadrius vociferus Linnaeus, 1758 | 1879 | not recorded | |
 | Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) | 1880 | Porter, J.B. | |
 | Riparia riparia (Linnaeus, 1758) | 1880 | Porter collection, J.B. | |
 | Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808) | 1880 | Porter collection, J.B. | |
 | Microsphaera ravenelii Berk. | 1887 | F. S. Earle | Catawba Island |
 | Ammocrypta pellucida (Putnam, 1863) | 1894 | C. Rutter | East end Sandusky Bay, Ohio |
 | Anaxyrus fowleri (Hinckley, 1882) | 1894 | not recorded | Sandusky Bay, E end of |
All 2,838 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 6 workings within 5 miles of Ottawa County Courthouse: 4 past producers, 2 producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Gypsum-Anhydrite, Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa County Hwy Dept. | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| American Mine No 2 | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Producer | ||
| American Mine Number 2 Quarry | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Lower Mine | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Past Producer | ||
| U.S. Gypsum Mill | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Past Producer | ||
| United States Gypsum Co. Mine | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Past Producer | Sedimentary |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Port Clinton, the town this property stands in, in 53 storm reports between 1996 and 2023: 28 thunderstorm wind, 14 hail, 4 storm surge/tide, 3 flash flood. The reports record 22 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1998 | Tornado (F2) | Port Clinton | 13 hurt, $20,000,000 | A tornado touched down approximately 10 miles west of Port Clinton and just west of the Davis Bessie power plant. Winds were between 113 and 157 miles per hour. Considerable damage occurred, with some barns completely destroyed and an apartment complex heavily damaged. Sixty three homes were destroyed, 63 sustained major damage, 238 had minor damage, semi trucks and mobile homes were overturned and trees and utility poles were downed. Loss of power lines outside Davis Bessie triggered a shutdown and a second stage alert; power was out for several days in places. A state of emergency was declared and all roads were closed in the county. Many buildings were destroyed and trees were downed at Camp Perry. A tree containing an eagle's nest with 2 eaglets was blown down. One of the eaglets survived. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | 5 hurt, $20,000 | Damaging thunderstorm winds hit the area during the Annual Walleye Festival. Thunderstorm winds downed a large entertainment tent in Port Clinton. Between 25 and 30 people were trapped beneath the collapsed tent. The incident resulted in a total of five people sustaining minor injuries. Three individuals were transported to Magruder Hospital, while two others walked to the hospital. |
| November 2002 | Tornado (F2) | Port Clinton | 4 hurt, $13,500,000 | A tornado touched down south of Port Clinton and then moved northeast entering the city just west of the intersection of Wilcox Road and Fulton Road. The tornado moved through the heart of the city reaching Lake Erie at Lakeview Park. From there, the tornado moved northeast over Lake Erie to Catawba Island where it finally dissipated after a ten mile long damage path. Four people suffered minor injuries as a result of the tornado. Hardest hit was the Lakeview Park area where two condominiums were blown off their stilts into Lake Erie and many other structures where destroyed. The initial storm damage in Port Clinton occurred along 11th Street where several homes were heavily damaged or destroyed. Significant damage also occurred near 8th and Fulton Streets. As the tornado moved through the city, it damaged the local high school and a hospital. Significant damage also occurred on Catawba Island with several homes damaged and destroyed before the tornado finally dissipated. A total of 24 homes and 16 apartments were destroyed along the damage path with approximately 60 additional homes damaged enough to be deemed uninhabitable. Another 80 structures sustained minor to moderate amounts of damage. The damage path was typically no more than 50 yards in width. Dozens of vehicles were damaged or destroyed by the tornado and hundreds of trees and power poles were toppled. |
| August 2011 | Flood | Port Clinton | $2,500,000 | An official NWS observer measured 6.58 inches over Port Clinton on the 14th. Emergency Management estimates at least half the town experienced some form of flooding as storm sewer systems were overwhelmed. The H.B. Magruder Hospital was inundated with ankle deep flood waters. Many homes and businesses in Port Clinton observed water in their basements, garages, or into their first floors. Many residents report this to be the worse flooding since the July 4-5th storm of 1969. EMA estimated a lot of property was affected with minor flooding, very few major, and no destroyed. |
| May 2009 | Flash Flood | Port Clinton | $2,000,000 | Slow moving, training thunderstorms produced torrential rainfall in Port Clinton, flooding nearly every street in town. Basement flooding was common due to the high water in the streets. The hospital lobby experienced flooding starting around 2:33pm local time, with water one to two feet deep just outside the main entrance. The foundation of a bank building at East 2nd and Madison collapsed around 3:55pm. 3.75 inches of rain fell in one hour at the sewage treatment plant between 1:30pm and 2:30pm. Storm total rainfall of 5.1 inches was measured in Port Clinton, with 4.5 inches measured on Harbor Road just east of town. |
| April 1998 | Storm Surge/Tide | Port Clinton | $2,000,000 | no account filed |
| August 2023 | Flash Flood | Port Clinton | $400,000 | Reports of widespread flash flooding in Port Clinton. Multiple flooded and impassable roadways reported along with widespread basement flooding. Radar estimated around 4 inches of rainfall in just under a 3 hour period ending 300 AM EDT on August 24, 2023, with total rainfall of 5 to 5.5 inches ending 500 AM EDT on August 24, 2023. |
| June 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $125,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed at least a dozen trees. Three of the trees damaged houses. Three cars were also damaged. |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $100,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power poles along Lake Erie from Long Beach to Port Clinton. A 64 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured in Port Clinton by an observer. Also in Port Clinton, a roof was torn off of a building and at least one car was damaged by trees. Many trees were also downed on Catawba Island. |
| March 1998 | Storm Surge/Tide | Port Clinton | $100,000 | no account filed |
| February 1998 | Storm Surge/Tide | Port Clinton | $100,000 | no account filed |
| May 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $75,000 | Thunderstorm winds tore a section of roofing off of a auto parts store in Port Clinton. No injuries were reported. |
| March 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $75,000 | Showers moved across Ottawa County during the evening hours. Although no thunder or lightning was reported, the showers were intense enough to cause some damage in the county. Wind gusts were estimated to be in excess of 50 mph. A few trees and large limbs were downed in Port Clinton. A barn was leveled near Oak Harbor and a nearby house was also damaged by the strong winds. |
| February 1998 | Storm Surge/Tide | Port Clinton | $75,000 | no account filed |
| August 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $50,000 | Thunderstorm down burst winds downed many trees in the Port Clinton area. |
| September 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $40,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed many trees and large limbs. Two cars were damaged by fallen trees, one each in Port Clinton and Marblehead. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $15,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed several large tree limbs. Scattered power outages were reported. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $15,000 | Several power poles were reported down. |
| November 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $15,000 | Three trees were reported down. One of the trees fell onto a trailer. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed a few trees. |
| June 1996 | Flash Flood | Port Clinton | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $8,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed a few trees near Port Clinton. |
| May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $5,000 | Several trees and power lines were blown down. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed numerous large tree limbs. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed several large tree limbs. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed several large tree limbs. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $5,000 | Many trees and large limbs downed. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $4,000 | Several trees were reported down. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $4,000 | Trees were downed. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $3,000 | Large limbs and power lines were reported down. Also, a few windows were broken at a hotel. |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $3,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed a large tree west of Port Clinton in Bay Township. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $2,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed a few large tree limbs. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $2,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed a tree and a large limb. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $2,000 | A few trees were reported down. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | $2,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed one tree and one large limb. |
| July 2010 | Hail | Port Clinton | $1,000 | Thunderstorms produced 1.00 inch hail. |
| July 2010 | Hail | Port Clinton | $1,000 | Thunderstorms produced 0.88 inch hail. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | - | Trees downed about two-miles WNW of Port Clinton. |
| September 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | - | Trees downed in Port Clinton. |
| November 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Port Clinton | - | Multiple trees and power lines down in the Port Clinton area. |
| May 2014 | Hail | Port Clinton | - | Amateur radio operator reported penny size hail in Port Clinton. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Port Clinton | - | Penny sized hail was observed. |
| March 2012 | Hail | Port Clinton | - | Nickel sized hail was observed. |
| July 2012 | Hail | Port Clinton | - | Quarter sized hail was observed. |
| July 2012 | Hail | Port Clinton | - | Quarter sized hail was observed. |
| July 2012 | Hail | Port Clinton | - | Quarter sized hail was observed. |
| May 2010 | Hail | Port Clinton | - | Nickel sized hail was observed. |
| May 2010 | Hail | Port Clinton | - | Nickel sized hail was reported. |
| May 2006 | Hail | Port Clinton | - | Penny size hail was observed. |
| June 2006 | Hail | Port Clinton | - | Penny size hail was observed. |
| May 2004 | Hail | Port Clinton | - | Penny size hail was observed. |
| September 1999 | Waterspout | Port Clinton | - | A waterspout was sighted on Lake Erie approximately 2 miles offshore from the Camp Perry military installation or about 10 miles northwest of Port Clinton. No damage was reported. |
| July 1998 | Hail | Port Clinton | - | Large hail fell in the north central portion of the county approximately 10 miles west of Port Clinton. |
1 paper published in this town, digitised by the Library of Congress and free to read: 0 issues, 0 pages. Every page is searchable, so a name or a street can be looked for directly in what the town printed about itself at the time.
| Newspaper | Published |
|---|---|
| Ottawa County News | 1931 to 1956 |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
When this property was proposed for the National Register, someone wrote the case for it: what the building is, and why it matters. That document is a federal record in the public domain. It is quoted below word for word, never summarised. The text was read off the scanned case file by machine, so the occasional stray character is the recogniser's and the 1970s typewriter's.
The two story building with three paned windows.Other windows are rectangular, set in The top of the tower contains a belfry for the clock chimes, protruding bay section at the roof line.Above the roof built from 1898 to 1901. - 16th Century SPECIFIC DATE(S) (If Applicable and Known)built 1898-1901 AREAS OF
Ottawa County Courthouse is an excellent example of the county seat, was laid out in 1827.Though not central to the county, the town was chosen as the county having only about 2200 residents. the 1890s that the decision was made to erect a new PERIOD (Check One or More as Appropriate) Art of Wing and Mahurin to design the structure.T RECEIVED
The whole case file for this property - 1,483 words, 9 pages, reproduced complete.
Quoted from the National Register nomination for reference 74001588, 9 pages, held by the National Archives in Record Group 79. See the catalogue record.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | St. Thomas Episcopal Church | 0.1 miles | 1999 |
 | Port Clinton City Hall | 0.2 miles | 2000 |
 | Island House | 0.2 miles | 2008 |
 | Gill--Luchsinger--Bahnsen House and Barn | 0.3 miles | 1992 |
 | Catawba Island Wine Company | 4.5 miles | 1983 |
| Mo-John, Betsy, Cabin | 4.5 miles | 1976 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 74001588 in Record Group 79. |
| Ottawa County | All 21 listed properties in this county. |
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