History Center at Courthouse Square

12/25/2025

12/15/2025

All year long, as part of our way of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the museum, we’ve been sharing stories from our own past as well as the recent writings and scholarship of our staff. Although not as flashy as some golden anniversary celebrations, for too long our own story had been seen as an afterthought rather than an integral part of Berrien County’s own history. So, these series of articles, along with the review and organizational project the staff is (still) working on, are helping to rectify that mistake.

More importantly, the walk down memory lane has been just as fun for you as it has been for us. From people discovering themselves in the pictures we’ve posted to readers helping us fill in some gaps, we’ve been able to bond over these wonderful little tidbits of our past. Of course, there is more to tell but we do have to save something for the BCHA’s official 60th anniversary in 2027.

We are still working on our corporate archives, which should be completed in early 2026. From there, the BCHA will move on to our archives and collections. And just in time, too. 2026 is the 250th birthday of the United States and American history does not exist without local history. Throughout the year, we’ll share the stories behind the artifacts and archival material in our vaults as we work through the review project. Hundreds of stories are preserved within our walls, and this is one of the many ways we can tell as many of those tales as we can.

The board and staff of the Berrien County Historical Association want to thank you for joining us this year to celebrate this special milestone and we invite you to dive even deeper into the story in 2026. Whether that is signing up for our newsletters, becoming a volunteer to help us during this massive undertaking, becoming a member or donor to financially support this work, or helping us fill in the gaps, there are so many ways you can partner with us during these upcoming special celebrations.

Here's to 50 years and to 50 more!

12/12/2025

[GINGERBREAD HOUSE DAY] Hear us out. Gingerbread houses make us think of our houses, makes us think of our communities, which makes us think of Berrien County. We decided to look at all things Berrien County for today’s post.

P2 – P4: Raise a glass to the county’s past with one our themed glassware. Mugs are $5.00, pint glasses are $8.00, and wine glasses are $8.00 each.

P5: And don’t forget our wine stopper so you can keep your leftovers safe! Made of wood and silicon, $6.00 each.

P6 – P9: Our published book series that focuses on Berrien County history are popular gifts. Choose among Greetings from Berrien Springs ($21.95), Greetings from Buchanan ($25.95), Greetings from St. Joseph ($27.95), Greetings from Three Oaks (not pictured, $25.95), and Sketches from Berrien County ($21.95). All copies are paperback.

P10 – P13: Additional books that focus on unique stories in Berrien County are also great gifts! Choose among “My Friday Night Heroes” (Niles, $15.95), “As We Set Forth” (Andrews University, $30.00), “To Know the Place” (Berrien Springs, $15.95), and “Silver Sands, Golden Memories (Silver Beach, $23.95). Additional titles available for sale.

P14: Our BCHA t-shirts (sized S – XXL) feature the county’s most popular attraction – our gorgeous sunsets! Made of blended cotton and are $20.00 each, all sizes.

P15: Nothing like the sweet smell of justice! These vanilla-tobacco candles come with a cork inlaid top that features the historic 1839 Courthouse. Only $12.00 each.

P16: Don’t forget to grab our see saw badge pins! At only $2.00 each, you can collect them all: Picked Apples, Saw the Fireflies, Saw the Jail, Peeped at the Leaves, Saw the Lighthouse, Saw a Moose, Pet Nessie, Saw the Sunset, and Vacationed in Berrien County.

100% of your purchase from On the Docket Books & Gifts stays local by supporting the museum’s on-going mission to celebrate Berrien County’s storied past. From educational programs for students to delicate conservation of our most historic pieces, your dollars are wisely invested in our mission to preserve your history! You can visit On the Docket Books & Gifts during regular museum hours inside the 1839 Courthouse. Members receive a 15% discount when they show their membership cards.

12/11/2025

[INTO THE VAULTS] The BCHA produces a monthly newsletter for our members called “The Docket.” Each month John (and sometimes Rhiannon) writes an article that highlights an item or subcollection inside our vaults. Since 2019, the staff has produced over 50 articles for “The Docket” on a wide variety of topics. As part of our 50th anniversary celebrations, we’ll be showcasing a different ‘Into the Vault’ article every Thursday. Interested in reading the latest column? Consider becoming a member!

“New Year, New Baby” by John Moga [January 2023]

In August of this past year, we presented a collection of photographs in and around New Buffalo. The works were given to the Museum in 2015 by the Lee County Historical & Genealogical Society of Dixon, Illinois. As an addendum to that article, we have a collection of New Buffalo portraits from the same Marguerite Photo Shop.

Aside from the high quality plein air photographs taken by Marguerite Parmelee, we have studio portraits and location shots that further suggest the versatility of this photographer. Her subjects range from men, women, children, and infants.

The children and infant studies required the right mix of technique, passion, and patience. One may imagine the challenge of making the baby smile on cue.

However, the adult sitter was quite different. Parmelee appeared to put her subjects at ease, suggesting a natural pose and occasionally adding props for interest and context. When in the studio, the background was simple, or in soft focus so as not to take away from the subject. The lighting was controlled to highlight the sitter’s features.

When out of doors, Marguerite used a shallow depth of field to keep the subject in focus while the background appeared blurred. Lighting outdoors is unpredictable but can be managed. When in direct sunlight, she used shade, and in the instance of Grandma Herman, she had a Michigan overcast for soft lighting on the old girl.

It’s fun to explore the work of a photographer like Marguerite Parmelee. Whether a walk along a Lake Michigan shoreline, a summer’s baseball game, or the warm smile of a young woman. Marguerite captured the charming spirit of 1920s Berrien County.

{Note: You can view Parmalee’s work on display at the New Buffalo City Hall. See our events section for more information!)

P2: Unnamed maternity nurse with baby

P3: John Verzal

P4: Yawning baby, but name unknown

P5: Nurse Tillie Lamport with an unnamed baby

P6: Grace Gilbert smiles for Parmalee

P7: Little Emily Louise sits with her mother, Mrs. Crosby. They are daughter and wife, respectively to the area postmaster.

2025 is the History Center at Courthouse Square’s 50th museum anniversary! Join BCHA staff all year long as they celebrate the story of the museum and the history it houses. Learn more about our organization at berrienhistory.org and to support our mission, donate to our Nifty Fifty! campaign here: https://tinyurl.com/mrxyy9sb

12/10/2025

[HOLIDAY CLOSURE 2025] The BCHA will be closed December 22 through January 1, 2026 for our annual holiday break. During this time, the museum buildings will be closed but the grounds open for visitors - no admission will be collected. Additionally, phone calls and emails will not be answered until staff returns to the office on January 2nd.

12/05/2025

[MAKE A GIFT DAY] Although we are a couple days late on this holiday, crafters can still find either a kit to make something OR a craft kit to give! Most of these are historic

P2: Eco-friendly gift givers and makers will love this simple metal kit that converts any two-liter pop bottle into a bird feeder! Kits are $12.00 each and rated for outdoor use.

P3 – P5: Regardless of age, these kits are designed to help beginners get acquainted with the techniques of cross-stitch, knitting, and crochet. Each kit comes with all the materials you need to create the pattern provided. Samplers are $12.00 and crochet/ knit are $9.00 each.

P6 – P9: Dolly kits are a great way to teach children about eye-hand coordination, following direction, and creative approaches to simple patterns. Our Rag Dolls (white and black) are $14.00, the Spoon dolls are $8.00, and the Yarn dolls are $9.00. Kits come with all materials needed and directions.

100% of your purchase from On the Docket Books & Gifts stays local by supporting the museum’s on-going mission to celebrate Berrien County’s storied past. From educational programs for students to delicate conservation of our most historic pieces, your dollars are wisely invested in our mission to preserve your history! You can visit On the Docket Books & Gifts during regular museum hours inside the 1839 Courthouse. Members receive a 15% discount when they show their membership cards.

12/04/2025

[INTO THE VAULTS] The BCHA produces a monthly newsletter for our members called “The Docket.” Each month John (and sometimes Rhiannon) writes an article that highlights an item or subcollection inside our vaults. Since 2019, the staff has produced over 50 articles for “The Docket” on a wide variety of topics. As part of our 50th anniversary celebrations, we’ll be showcasing a different ‘Into the Vault’ article every Thursday. Interested in reading the latest column? Consider becoming a member!

“Such Curiousity” by John Moga

In the early years of the 19th century a new thing was happening in the home – the notion of “eclecticism” – the fashionable trend implying that one fashion was as good as another, and too much was never enough. Heavy upholstered furniture; fringes and tassels; wall art and shadow boxes; area rugs on patterned carpeting; papered walls, cornice trim and ceilings – all mixed without fear of reproach.

And in the shadow of the industrial revolution, there came scores of reasonably priced manufactured goods in any historic style. The growing middle class could afford styles like the grand houses of Europe and the market for interior decoration flourished. The evidence of ones’ status was found in the front parlor’s kunstkammer, cabinet of curiosities.

The kunstkammer (literally “Art Room”) was a place for collectors to house miscellaneous trinkets and oddities, trophies from travel and gifts from faraway lands. It became a depository for family memories. The 16th century German word referred to an early form of museum in which strange or rare objects were exhibited.

The cabinet mixed artworks with objects that today would belong in a museum of natural history or science, animal specimens forever frozen behind glass. The practice extended well into the 20th century when British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was counted among avid butterfly collectors and traveled around the world chasing winged prey.

P2: Photo of an unknown Berrien Springs man C. 1890, who is shown in a room filled with art. Every surface and most walls would be decorated with artistic pieces and later pictures.

P3: Collection of Projectile Points (994.26.1, Gift of Reva E. Murphy): It should come as no surprise that the BCHA also has a moderately sized collection of arrow heads and other projectile points that people have collected over the years. While some were donated to us as a loose collection to do what we want with, others have come to us framed or displayed like the example above. Two of the five framed/displayed examples are in the exhibit, including this circular design. John and Rhiannon fiddled with the hanging of this piece because its round nature made it hard to find a good level point!

P4: Bird Diorama, c. 1880 (991.19.1, Gift of Kenneth R. Walker): Taxidermy animals are probably among the more interesting pieces in any museum collections, especially pieces like this display. Created around 1880 for Christopher H. Ford. It came to us in the 1990s after being passed down to Ford’s great-great-grandnephew. The birds are all local and range from the Towhee to the American Crow. The size of this piece prevented it from being in this exhibit, but we have displayed it as recent as 2020 in our “A Walk in the Park” exhibit.

P5: Wedding Crowns, 1925 (2005.001.1, Gift of George Katsulos): Wedding memorabilia is always a fun thing to have in a collections. These 1925 Orthodox wedding crowns are beautiful examples of his common accessory. While these are specifically Greek, many traditions use a crown or crowns as part of ceremony traditions. Within Orthodox tradition, these were worn by both groom and bride to denote them as the king and queen of their family and connected them to the kingdom of heaven. This set is beautifully framed and paired with candles from the ceremony.

P6: Feather Memorial Wreath, c. 1890 (74.35.1, Gift of Thomas W. Michael): The memorial feather wreath is only about ten years older and is one of the earliest pieces to be donated to the museum, coming to us in 1974. Like a lot earlier pieces, there is little history about how this piece came to the donor and who it was meant to memorialize. Our wreath has all the hallmarks of a traditional funerary wreath – hair, fake flowers, feathers, and other small items but it is quite simple. Although there is beauty in its simplicity

2025 is the History Center at Courthouse Square’s 50th museum anniversary! Join BCHA staff all year long as they celebrate the story of the museum and the history it houses. Learn more about our organization at berrienhistory.org and to support our mission, donate to our Nifty Fifty! campaign here: https://tinyurl.com/mrxyy9sb

12/03/2025

[GIVING TUESDAY] Thank you for joining us to day and donating towards the mission of the Berrien County Historical Association. Your stories deserve the best possible care and consideration and today you helped our staff do just that. Although the day is nearly done, there is still time to give and help shape our 2026 for the better: https://tinyurl.com/zx8edrx9

12/03/2025

[GIVING TUESDAY] Today, you'll receive a lot of requests to support various non-profits around the county. Why should you consider the Berrien County Historical Association? So many more stories to tell.

Our collections house only a fraction of Berrien County's very storied past. From the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi to all the new residents who have made this special location their home, we have an obligation to collect as many stories as we can. But they need special care, including boxes, folders, picture holders, and space.

Help us to expand our offerings by making the materials and space we need a reality: https://tinyurl.com/zx8edrx9

12/02/2025

[GIVING TUESDAY] Today, you'll receive a lot of requests to support various non-profits around the county. Why should you consider the Berrien County Historical Association? Students!

Over the years, students from around Berrien County have walked the grounds of the Courthouse Square, connecting themselves to hundreds of years of history. We continue to grow the opportunities for schools to use the BCHA and the Courthouse Square as a resource. From mock trials to in-school "Rent-a-Historian" programs, every student in Berrien County will have a chance to see themselves in the face of the past.

Donate today to ensure every student can experience the History Center at Courthouse Square : https://tinyurl.com/zx8edrx9

12/02/2025

[GIVING TUESDAY] Today, you'll receive a lot of requests to support various non-profits around the county. Why should you consider the Berrien County Historical Association? The fun!

It is an important part of our mission to host programs and events to give you the chance to explore history in an entirely new ways. From our popular A Drink with History series to the hands-on workshops hosted at Pickle Festival, Garden Lovers Weekend, and more, whatever strikes your (historical) fancy, we've helped you enjoy every minute of learning about!

Give today and support the 2026 calendar of events: https://tinyurl.com/zx8edrx9

12/02/2025

[GIVING TUESDAY] Today, you'll receive a lot of requests to support various non-profits around the county. Why should you consider the Berrien County Historical Association? The possibilities!

Our buildings and their exhibits are in a constant stated of evolution, allowing us to rotated out artifacts as part of their care plan and replace them with new donations. This allows to explore entirely new stories, expand the ones we're already telling, and so much more! But to make these updates possible, we need a little help.

Support the development of our exhibits and their spaces by donating today : https://tinyurl.com/zx8edrx9