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As in any historic building that has stood for over a century, occupants of the Eaton County Courthouse have worked continually to address the challenge of changing technology. In 1885 when this building opened there was no Model T, no radio, and no airplane. No one imagined many of the technologies that today Americans take for granted.

One incredibly large technology change in the late 19th century was the invention and growth of electric lights. In the 1870s the most modern buildings were filled with gas lamps that let off a small but warm glow. Then, suddenly, in 1879 Thomas Edison patented something that would change lighting forever – the light bulb.

As a new building, it is likely that the Eaton County Courthouse was lit by fixtures that used both gas and electric light bulbs together. These fixtures are easily identified by the gas globes that reach upward complimented by electric lights hanging below. Chandeliers such as the one above the Judge’s desk in this room are likely slightly later additions, as evidenced by the fact that all of the lights hang down. This fixture probably dates to the very early 20th century.