Lake County is named for the several small lakes within the county and for Lake Michigan.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Manistee County and Wexford County
E – Osceola County
S – Newaygo County
W – Manson County
Created: April 1, 1840 
County Seat:
Chase 1871 – 1875
Baldwin 1875 – present
County Courthouse – Baldwin
Location: 800 Tenth Street / West Courthouse Drive
Built: 1927 – 1928
Style: Classical Revival
Architect: Frank P Allan & Son
Contractor: Cadillac Cabinet & Construction
Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Baldwin. The building has a large portico supported by six high white colored columns rising to a decorated pediment at the roof line. A projecting cornice runs below the roof line. On the east and west are one story wings. In the interior, the large Circuit Court courtroom has a motif of white colored walls, dark green colored trim and light colored wood. There is a smaller courtroom with furnishings from the original courtroom. The building houses the County Trial Court consisting of the County Circuit Court of the 51st Judicial District, County District Court and County Probate Court. A large addition was added on the north side in 1998 to 2000. The architect for the addition was Gove Associates Inc. of Kalamazoo and the contractor was DeVere Construction Company Inc. of Alpena.
See: The 51st Judicial District includes Manson County.
History: The county was created in 1840 as Aischum County and the name was changed to Lake Count. Chase was selected as the county seat in 1871 when the county was organized. The county rented the upper story of a building in Chase. The county seat was moved to Baldwin in 1875 and court was held in the J H Cobb Hall. The county purchased a building from Mr. Chick for $600 in 1876 as the first courthouse. The second courthouse was a brick structure designed by Sidney Osgood and built in 1886 to 1888 at a cost of $10,000. The courthouse was destroyed by fire on April 3, 1927. The third and present courthouse was constructed in the same style as the previous courthouse but without the tower, in 1927 to 1928 at a cost of $50,000. The cost of the 1998 to 2000 addition was $6,500,000.
See: Michigan’s County Courthouses by John Fedynsky
County Courthouse – Baldwin
Photos taken 2008