Kalamazoo County is named for the Indian word “kikalamazoo” meaning “the mirage” or “reflecting river”, or meaning “the boiling pot”.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Allegan County and Barry County
E – Calhoun County
W – Van Buren County
Created: October 29, 1829
County Seat:
Kalamazoo 1830 – present
County Courthouse – Kalamazoo
Location: 227 West Michigan Avenue / Hubbard Street
Built: 1936 – 1937
Style: Art Deco
Architect: M J C Billingham of Kalamazoo and Smith, Hickman & Grylis
Contractor: O F Miller
Description: The building faces north and is a six story buff colored Mankato limestone and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Kalamazoo. Constructed with reinforced concrete, the exterior walls are Mankato limestone. The windows on the first three stories are vertical and divided by stone sections. The windows on the fourth story are small. The base of the building is dark granite. Corrado Joseph Parducci carved figures representing Justice, Law and Vigilance and several other reliefs. The roof line is flat. The building has ornate bronze doors and marble paneled lobbies. There are two large courtroom and two additional courtrooms. The building was a Public Works Administration project.
History: Kalamazoo was named as the county seat in 1830. The court met at the log cabin of Titus Bronson at Bronson which became Kalamazoo in 1836. Court met at the home of Abraham I Shave in 1831. The first courthouse was a two story clapboard structure designed by Ammi B Young of Montpelier, Vermont and built by E R Ball in 1836 for cost of $6,000. In 1866, the courthouse was remodeled by Bush and Paterson at a cost of $8,000. The building was razed in 1921 The second courthouse was designed by Edward O Fallis of Toledo, Ohio and constructed in 1884 to 1885 at a cost of $60,000. The building was razed in 1935. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1936 to 1937.
County Administration – Kalamazoo
Location: 201 West Kalamazoo Avenue / Rose Street
Built: 1976 – 1978
Style: Modern
Architect: Cain Associate
Contractor: Whitaker Construction Company
Description: The building faces north and is a four story concrete and glass structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Kalamazoo to the north of the courthouse. The face of the building has a combination of horizontal windows and narrow vertical windows. The fourth story has horizontal windows dived by concrete dividers. The roof line is flat. The cost of construction was $4,180,000.
See: Michigan’s County Courthouses by John Fedynsky
County Courthouse – Kalamazoo
County Administration – Kalamazoo
Photos taken 2008 and 2015
Images 15