Description This newsletter issue details the historical evolution and significance of the Berrien County courthouses, particularly emphasizing the challenges and symbolic importance of the clock in the second, most recognizable structure. The county's judicial proceedings initially convened in a log schoolhouse in 1856, followed by the construction of the first purpose-built, wood-framed courthouse in 1858, which later served as the New Hansell Hotel before its demolition in 1925. The current brick...

Description This issue examines the planned development and eventual decline of Nashville’s “Grand Avenue,” the ambitious civic vision laid out in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Centered on West Avenue and anchored by the 1898 brick Berrien County Courthouse, the newsletter traces how early city planners intended a broad, impressive boulevard lined with banks, public buildings, and the Nashville Public School (completed in 1904). The issue charts the rise of significant structures along the...