Jackson County Courthouses: 1832, 1836, 1871, 1920s

The Jackson County courthouse (as we know it) was built between 1927-1929 at 120 West Michigan Avenue in downtown Jackson. Looking at old photos there are one or two that really throw me off. You'll see what I mean when you check out the photo gallery further below.

Jackson's first court house wasn't even a courthouse – it was a home. After being formed in 1832, the court first met in the log house of Horace Blackman. Not long afterward, a real courthouse was built: a stone building that was put together in 1836 -1837. A second courthouse, again built from stone, was built in 1871.

History keeps getting twisted and warped. Some sites say the courthouse was originally built in the 1920s as the Elks Club, while another says it was intended as a bank building. Okay, great. Which one is telling the truth?

MORE STUFF: