Chippewa County Courthouse in Sault Ste Marie

One of the oldest and most elegant courthouses in Michigan is located in Sault Ste Marie. Designated a National Historic Site, the Chippewa County Courthouse was built in 1877. The beautiful three story building is considered Second Empire architectural style and was created by Detroit architect William Scott. It's charming cut stone design is a marvel to behold. We recently heard the complex is for sale.

Berrien Springs Court House

Michigan became a state in 1837. Two years after that, this Greek-revival style courthouse in Berrien Springs was completed which at the time was the county seat. It consists of hand-hewn whitewood timbers that about a foot square and 40 feet long and is Michigan's oldest courthouse. It is amazing that this structure still exists today, being that the county seat moved to St Joseph in 1894.  It passed through many private hands, but 45 years ago, Berrien County repurchased it in order to preserve it.  The historic courthouse is now part of the History Center at Courthouse Square where you can also visit an 1830 log house and other 19th century buildings. The museum is free.

Ingham County Courthouse in Mason

The city of Mason was so named after our first governor, Stevens T Mason. Just a few miles south of Lansing, Mason became Ingham's county seat in 1840 and is the ONLY site in the nation where the state capitol is not located in its county seat. The County Courthouse is a beautiful site to behold. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It is open for tours Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm.