Berrien County is named for John M Berrien, who was the Attorney General of the United States.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Van Buren County
E – Van Burren County and Cass County
S – Saint Joseph County, Indiana and LaPorte County, Indiana
W – Lake Michigan
Created: October 29, 1829 
County Seat:
Niles 1831 – 1832
St. Joseph 1832 – 1837
Berrien Springs 1837 – 1894
St. Joseph 1894 – present
County Courthouse – St. Joseph
Location: 811 Port Street / Court Street
Built: 1964 – 1966
Style: Modern
Architect: Shaw, Metz & Associates of Chicago, Illinois
Contractor: Pearson Construction Company of Benton Harbor
Description: The building faces south and is a five story concrete, stone and glass structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of St Joseph. The building has a central entrance framed with light stone. The windows are narrow and vertical with narrow vertical dividers. The top of the building is recessed. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 2nd Judicial District, County District Court and County Probate Court.
Note: There is also a courthouse at 1205 North Front Street in Niles.
Old County Courthouse – Berrien Springs
Location: 313 North Cass Street / West Union Street
Built: 1838 – 1839
Style: Greek Revival
Architect: Gilbert Avery
Contractor: James Lewis and Gilbert Avery
Description: The building faces northeast and is two story white wood and brick structure. The building is located on lthe andscaped grounds of the Courthouse Square in the center of Berrein Springs. The northeast front has a portico with four white colored columns rising to a pediment at the roof line. At the northeast end of the hipped roof is a square white colored wood cupola. The windows are vertical. The foundation is red colored brick. The building is surrounded by spacious grounds which contain the old Sheriff’s Residence constructed in 1870 and the County Office Building constructed in 1859 to 1860..
Note: The courthouse is the oldest courthouse in Michigan next to the courthouse in Lapeer County. The courthouse complex consists of the courthouse, the county office building, a two story red colored brick structure built by George H Murdoch in 1860 to 1861 at a cost of $3000, office building constructed in 1873 at a cost of $5,610 and Jail and Sheriff’s residence built in 1869 at a cost of $26,720.
History: The county was created in 1829. The first court met in Niles in 1831 in the Council House which was the home of Alamanson Huston. In 1832 the court moved to St Joseph (Newburyport) in a log schoolhouse, the store of William Huff and the Old White Schoolhouse. In 1837 Berrien Springs was selected as the first county seat. The first courthouse was built in 1838 to 1839 at a cost of $2500 and is still standing. In 1894, the county seat was moved to St Joseph where the Music Academy was used until the second courthouse was designed by Bell & Kent and constructed in by Atkinson Brothers in 1896 at a cost of $104,007. The building was raised when the third and present courthouse was constructed in 1964 to 1966.
See: Michigan’s County Courthouses by John Fedynsky
County Courthouse – St. Joseph
Old Courthouse – Berrein Springs
Photos taken 2008