Completed in 1846 for $1,000, Eaton County's courthouse was originally located on the town square, at the current location of the 1885 Courthouse Museum. It served as the county courthouse until 1872, when it was sold and used as the Episcopal Chapel. The building was also used as a livery stable and blacksmiths shop, among many other purposes. Historic Charlotte Inc. purchased the building and, on October 11, 1983, moved it to its current site. One of the earliest and few remaining original courthouses in Michigan, it is a piece of pioneer history. Twenty-seven organizations and a few very dedicated volunteers made its purchase, move, and preservation possible.