Lenawee County is named for the Native American word meaning “male” or “man”, from the Delaware word “leno” or “lenno” or the Shawnee word “leanawai”.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Jackson County and Washtenaw County
E – Monroe County
S – Lucas County, Ohio and Fulton County, Ohio
W – Hillsdale County
Created: September 10, 1822 
County Seat:
Tecumseh 1826 – 1838
Adrian 1838 – present
County Courthouse – Adrian
Location: 301 North Main Street / East Maple Avenue
Built: 1884 – 1885
Style: Romanesque
Architect: Edward Oscar Fallis of Toledo, Ohio
Contractor: Avery Knapp & Company and Allen & Van Tassel
Description: The building faces east and is a two story red colored brick and stone structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Adrian. The foundation is of rusticated stone, and rises six feet from the ground. The building has a projecting central section on the east side with a large rounded arch rising to the top of the second story with a third story section with peaked roof. The building widens in stages to the main section. On the center of the roof is a high square ornate tower with round white colored cupola at the top. There are classic reliefs and terra-cotta trim. In the interior, the layout is cruciform in shape. The first story has a floor made of tiles laid in geometric patterns. Two grand staircases lead to the second story, located on each side of the center hallway. The staircases have Georgia yellow pine as does the wainscoting. The courtroom which now houses the Commissioners is located on the west side of the second story and has a high ceiling and woodwork.
See: The courthouse is similar to the courthouse in Paulding County, Ohio.
See: The architect, Edward Oscar Fallis & Company of Toledo, Ohio also designed the courthouses in Monroe County; and in Illinois in Schuyler County, in Indiana in Noble County, in Kansas in Montgomery County; and in Ohio in Paulding County, and in Williams County.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Lenawee County Courthouse
County Judicial Building – Adrian
Location: 425 North Main Street / East Maple Avenue
Built: 1978 – 1979
Style: Modern
Architect: Wigen, Tincknell & Associates of Saginaw
Contractor: Elzinga & Volkers, Inc. of Holland
Description: The building faces east and is a four story brown colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Adrian on the north side of the courthouse. The east and west wings are three stories. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 39th Judicial District, County District Court and County Probate Court. The building is the Rex B Martin Judicial Building.
History: The county was created in 1822 and Tecumseh was selected as the county seat in 1826 when the county was organized. In 1838, the county seat was moved to Adrian. The first courthouse was built in 1837 in Adrian but burned on march 14, 1853. For a number of years the county used rented premises. The second and present courthouse was constructed in 1884 to 1885 at a cost of $47,460. The County Judicial Building was constructed in 1978 to 1979 at a cost of $4,200,000.
See: Michigan’s County Courthouses by John Fedynsky
County Courthouse – Adrian
Judicial Building – Adrian
Photos taken 2008 and 2018