Stuff You Might Not Know About

You Might Not Know About . . .

— By Sarah Gray —

McCourtie Park

One of the most picturesque locations for prom, engagement, and wedding photos in Hillsdale and Lenawee counties has to be McCourtie Park. Located on US 12 in Somerset Center, this beautiful 42-acre park is home to some unique and creatively constructed structures.

The large parcel was once known as “Aidan Lair” and was the estate of William Herbert Lee McCourtie. He lived in Texas making a fortune in oil but eventually decided he wanted to be back home and returned to Somerset Center in the 1920s.

Since there is little oil to be found in southern Michigan, McCourtie looked for new opportunities for wealth. According to the Hillsdale Historical

Society, a chance conversation about the lucrative cement industry led him down the path to his next fortune. After learning about the components used in the making of cement, he speculated that one of the main components – marl – could very well be what he had been seeing on his uncle’s farm. After he had the soil tested, it was confirmed. He founded three cement companies during his time in Michigan.

Although his family stayed in their Jackson home, McCourtie transformed the family property into an elaborate summer home which included a ballroom and a swimming pool. He used the commodities at his companies to his advantage and constructed most of the structures out of the cement. The most well known, of course, are the 17 bridges around the property. These bridges, however, do not look like ordinary cement bridges.

McCourtie hired two craftsmen to create the bridges in the style of Mexican folk art known as trabajo rustico, which means “rough work.” This style uses cement to create the look of wood for the bridges. He brought in Mexican artisans George Cardosa and Ralph Corona to create the more than a dozen bridges scattered throughout the property. In addition, McCourtie wanted to attract purple martins to the property so he had the artists construct two intricate birdhouses in the same trabajo rustico style.

There are many stories and speculations about events that transpired at “Aidan Lair” during the Prohibition Era. The underground “rathskeller” was rumored to have hosted some famous guests including Henry Ford for an all-night poker party and the infamous gangster Al Capone.

Following McCourtie’s death at age 61, several owners attempted to keep the property going. In 1987, Somerset Township bought the property. The house had to be torn down due to major fire damage. After much work from volunteers, the park was brought back to its former glory. McCourtie Park was listed in the State of Michigan Register of Historic Places in 1991. It is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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