Ingham County Courthouse located along M-36 in Mason, Ingham County
The Beaux Arts style of architecture was popular from the 1880s to the 1930s. Constructed of masonry, the buildings were grand and monumental in size. Swags of flowers and leaves were draped over windows, doorways and rooflines. Large columns with decorative caps supported impressive entry porches. Towers placed at each corner with convex or concave roofs, or towers rising from the center of the building are common in the governmental structures.

Other examples, especially commercial buildings have flat rooflines. The style was generally only used for commercial and governmental buildings, although the wealthy sometimes built residences influenced by the design. The most familiar use was in the construction of county courthouses at the turn of the century.