Berrien Springs, Michigan
| Berrien Springs, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
 Location of Berrien Springs, Michigan |
|
| Coordinates: 41°56′51″N 86°20′25″W / 41.94750°N 86.34028°WCoordinates: 41°56′51″N 86°20′25″W / 41.94750°N 86.34028°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Berrien |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.02 sq mi (2.64 km2) |
| • Land | 0.94 sq mi (2.43 km2) |
| • Water | 0.08 sq mi (0.21 km2) |
| Elevation | 673 ft (205 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,800 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 1,794 |
| • Density | 1,914.9/sq mi (739.3/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 49103-49104 |
| Area code(s) | 269 |
| FIPS code | 26-07860 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2398105 |
Berrien Springs is a village in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,800 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Oronoko Charter Township. Berrien Springs is best known for its Seventh-day Adventist community and Andrews University. Reflecting the town's population, many of the businesses in town are closed on Saturdays.
Berrien Springs, like Berrien County, is named for John M. Berrien; "Springs" was added after mineral springs were discovered in the area. The village is the site of the earliest settlement in Oronoko Township, and was first known as "Wolf's Prairie" in reference to the 1,000-acre prairie in which it was situated. The site had been a village under the leadership of a Potawatamie man named Wolf. The first permanent settlers, John Pike and his family, came in 1829.
The village of Berrien was platted in 1831, and the village of Berrien Springs was incorporated in 1863. Berrien Springs was the county seat from 1837 until 1894, when St. Joseph became county seat. The Berrien Springs post office opened with the name Berrien on December 4, 1832 and changed to Berrien Springs on April 18, 1836.
When Berrien Springs became the county seat, its courthouse, designed by local architect Gilbert B. Avery, was completed in 1839. The Greek Revival-style courthouse emulated the architecture of ancient Greece with its large columns, triangular pediment and white paint. After the county seat was moved in 1894, the building was put to various uses and briefly was vacant. In 1967, efforts to preserve and restore the courthouse began.
The restored courthouse square contains Michigan's oldest courthouse as part of the Midwest's most complete surviving mid-nineteenth century county government complex. Today the square houses a county museum and archives and serves as headquarters for the Berrien County Historical Association. Its original buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The gallery on the first floor of the 1839 Courthouse is devoted to exhibits on Berrien County history. Topics covered include early colonial forts, the fur trade, railroads, the Civil War, early Berrien County industries, Native Americans and area pre-history. The Sheriff's House gallery hosts changing exhibits. Classroom programs include living-history presentations. Teachers can invite a Civil War soldier or French voyageur to speak to their class.
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