Joseph E. Mills Explained

Joseph E. Mills was an architect based in Detroit, Michigan. He designed the Muscatine County Courthouse in Muscatine County, Michigan, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. He also worked on buildings in Ionia, Michigan^{[1] [2]} and on the Harrison County Courthouse in Logan, Iowa, county seat of Harrison County, Iowa.

Works

Works include:

• Lyman M. Brackett House (1886) at 328 W. 9th St. Rochester, Indiana
• Grosfield Building (1893) at 3365 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, now part of the Michigan Avenue Historic Commercial District
• Oakland County Courthouse (1905)^[3] in Pontiac, Michigan^[4]
• Three buildings in Muscatine, Iowa:
  • Muscatine County Courthouse (1909), 3rd and 4th Sts between Walnut and Mulberry, individually listed on the National Register,
  • Muscatine County Jail (1909), a separate project at 4th and Walnut for which Mills was also selected, and
  • City Hall (1914), 215 Sycamore Street, Classical Revival office building for City of Muscatine office included in Muscatine's Downtown Commercial Historic District).^[5]
• John J. Petz House at 3515 Burns in Detroit^[6]
• Lafer Brothers Building in Detroit's Broadway Avenue Historic District^[7]
• Louis A. Peters House at 759 Seminole in Detroit^[8]
• Richard H. Macauley House at 270 East Ferry Avenue in Detroit^{[9] [10]}
• Maranatha Baptist Tabernacle (1919), became known as the Jam Handy and was used for film production^[11]
• Harrison County Courthouse (1911) in Logan, Iowa, county seat of Harrison County, Iowa^[12]
• 399 St. Clair in Grosse Pointe (part of the Cadieux School complex)^[13]

Other

J. Lawson Miller (1878-1969), who became "widely known as a remarkably original and artistic architect," worked as a draftsman or in other capacity for Mills, among other Detroit architects, before becoming one himself.^[14]

Notes and References

1. Web site: The American Architect. October 1, 1917. Swetland Publishing Company. Google Books.
2. Web site: The American Architect . 1917 .
3. Book: Michigan's County Courthouses . 9780472034932 . Fedynsky . John . 26 August 2011 .
4. Web site: Court History | Brochures & Publications. www.oakgov.com.
5. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=06000423}} National Register of Historic Places Registration: Downtown Commercial Historic District ]. National Park Service. Rebecca Lawin McCarley . February 27, 2006 . May 20, 2019. Includes maps and historic photos. With
6. Web site: John J. Petz House (3515 Burns) | Historic Detroit. Benjamin L. Gravel. Jr. historicdetroit.org.
7. Web site: Lafer Brothers Building | Historic Detroit. City of Detroit Historic Designation Advisory. Board. historicdetroit.org.
8. Web site: Louis A. Peters House (759 Seminole) | Historic Detroit. Benjamin L. Gravel. Jr. historicdetroit.org.
9. Web site: Richard H. Macauley House (270 East Ferry Avenue) | Historic Detroit. Benjamin L. Gravel. Jr. historicdetroit.org.
10. Web site: Joseph E. Mills . Historic Detroit.
11. Web site: THE JAM HANDY – A FILMMAKING ICON AND AMERICAN RELIC – Theatre Historical Society of America.
12. Web site: courthousehistory.com | a historical look at out nation's county courthouses through postcards. courthousehistory.com.
13. Web site: Historic designation sought for 389 St. Clair - Grosse Pointe News. March 10, 2022. Grosse Pointe News - 16980 Kercheval Pl • McCourt Building • Grosse Pointe, MI 48230 • 313.882.6900 • Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
14. Web site: The J. Lawson Miller Collection . May 17, 2022 . Sarah Murphy . Detroit Historical Society.