On Saturday, September 2, 1901, a vast crowd assembled to witness the laying of the cornerstone for the new Van Buren County Courthouse. Designed by architect Claire Allen of Jackson, Michigan, the courthouse was intended as a fine example of American Neoclassical architecture. Neoclassicism sought to embody the new country's democratic ideals, and buildings of this kind, with eloquent temple fronts and noble interiors, were once prominent across the nation. Upon entering such a building, citizens knew intuitively that it was the physical embodiment of the majesty of the law.