22/08/2026
McCourtie was born in 1872 near Somerset Center, Michigan, and originally studied law at the University of Michigan. Rather than remain a lawyer, he moved to Texas and became involved in the booming oil industry, where he made a substantial fortune. He later became involved in the cement business, including the Peninsular Portland Cement Company in Cement City and eventually his own Trinity Portland Cement Company.
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In 1924, McCourtie bought back his family's old 42-acre property in Somerset Center and transformed it into an elaborate country estate he called “Aiden Lair.” He reportedly spent more than $500,000 developing the property—a staggering amount for the 1920s. The estate included a large ballroom, guest accommodations, a swimming pool, trout pond, underground garage and rathskeller.
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McCourtie was known for lavish parties and entertaining, and he apparently enjoyed sharing the property with the local community. Henry Ford was among the prominent visitors reported to have attended gatherings there. The estate also developed a more mysterious reputation during Prohibition. A large underground vault with a massive combination-lock door has led to speculation that alcohol may have been stored there, and stories have connected the property with organized crime figures. However, the more sensational claims—such as Al Capone personally visiting—are local legends rather than firmly established historical facts.
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His greatest legacy came around 1930, when McCourtie commissioned Mexican artisans George Cardoso and Ralph Corona to create the remarkable concrete bridges and structures. They used trabajo rústico, a technique in which wet concrete was sculpted to resemble natural wood, rope and other materials. Seventeen bridges were ultimately created.
McCourtie died in 1933 at only 61 years old, following a long illness. After his death, Aiden Lair passed through several owners and eventually deteriorated. In 1987, Somerset Township purchased the property, and volunteers helped reclaim the overgrown grounds. The original house was eventually demolished, but McCourtie's extraordinary concrete work survived. The property became McCourtie Park, and it was placed on the Michigan Register of Historic Places in 1991 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
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In many ways, McCourtie was a classic larger-than-life Michigan character: a farm boy who became wealthy through oil and cement, returned home and built an extravagant retreat, entertained some of the era's prominent figures, and left behind an unusual artistic legacy that still survives nearly a century later.
