Berrien Springs trip planner

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.HistoryBerrien 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.The 1839 CourthouseWhen 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.