The Berrien Springs Courthouse, a fine example of the Greek Revival style, was designed by Gilbert B. Avery in 1838, and contractor James Lewis agreed to complete it by April 1839. Built almost entirely of whitewood, the courthouse has hand-hewn timbers almost one foot square and forty feet long. In 1894 the county seat was transferred to St. Joseph, and the courthouse soon passed into private hands. For a number of years it was used as an armory for the Berrien Springs Light Guard and as a center for community gatherings. In 1922 the building was purchased by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and in 1967 Berrien County repurchased the courthouse to ensure its preservation.