20:
136:
perhaps original or may have been added later. A door at the rear of the building was removed in the early 1900s to make space for a small room for the judge, and in 1905 this room was expanded. The county sought to make major changes to the building in 1946, but voters rejected the proposed spending, and a smaller-scale renovation project was conducted in 1965.
83:
was to accept from commissioner Alexis Phelps a donation of land for county business. (Phelps and others had reserved land for this purpose five years earlier, when founding the town.) In
October 1841, the county commission first announced plans to build a courthouse, and as the lowest bidder,
135:
style. Its first floor was originally divided into office spaces for county officials, and a pair of staircases provided access to the large courtroom that occupied the entire second story. Two record vaults occupy the southwestern quarter; one was added after construction, while the other is
87:
Oquawka sits twice as far from the county's southern boundary as from the northern, and for this reason, residents of the southern part of the county repeatedly sought to move the seat closer to their homes. Elections were held in 1859 (seeking to move it to
63:
Treaties were signed with local
Indians as early as 1804, but cruelty on the part of early squatters in the area provoked them to warfare, and not until 1829 could land be sold in what became western Henderson County. Here a town was
100:), and 1872 (again to Gladstone), but majorities consistently favored retaining the original location. As the county has never replaced the original building, it is Illinois' second-oldest active courthouse.
887:
84:
Phelps was chosen as the contractor for a price of $ 1,219. Working with architect Abner
Hebbard, brick mason James Ryason, and a pair of other contractors, he finished the building by the end of 1842.
295:
882:
897:
877:
554:
155:
with square base sits atop the roof and above the portico. Before wings were added to the sides, three windows pierced each story of the building's sides.
288:
892:
814:
789:
404:
724:
519:
324:
304:
838:
764:
739:
714:
709:
569:
479:
464:
454:
399:
699:
534:
509:
444:
419:
384:
354:
349:
281:
779:
749:
729:
704:
659:
644:
604:
514:
489:
414:
409:
794:
769:
744:
679:
589:
499:
374:
339:
319:
252:
694:
689:
379:
579:
819:
774:
369:
364:
824:
609:
629:
599:
484:
434:
784:
654:
649:
639:
474:
469:
459:
799:
759:
754:
684:
614:
584:
439:
334:
89:
559:
539:
449:
359:
804:
624:
574:
549:
634:
424:
115:
spoke on
October 9. Douglas was already familiar with the location, having used the courthouse in the 1840s while a
734:
719:
664:
544:
147:
in 1905. A door sits at the center of the facade, surrounded by windows. Above it, the building's roof rises to a
132:
40:
529:
68:
in 1836 and named
Oquawka, and by 1838 it was prosperous enough to attempt to gain the status of county seat for
594:
504:
564:
524:
216:
116:
674:
619:
344:
248:
809:
429:
394:
389:
329:
104:
69:
669:
75:
Henderson County was created out of Warren County in April 1841 by a law that designated also
Oquawka the
19:
97:
189:
History of Mercer and
Henderson counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc.
93:
80:
32:
268:
112:
108:
273:
228:
871:
107:
in 1858, both men visited at the
Henderson County Courthouse during their campaigns;
48:
76:
55:, despite repeated attempts by other towns to obtain the status of county seat.
36:
52:
853:
840:
308:
44:
140:
51:. Built in 1842 and later expanded, it remains in use as the county's
152:
144:
128:
231:, 9th District Illinois Appellate Court, 2019. Accessed 2019-02-02.
148:
18:
65:
277:
127:
At the time of construction, the courthouse was a simple two-
143:; the columns' original brick exterior was covered with
888:
Buildings and structures in
Henderson County, Illinois
249:
Photographics
Written Historical and Descriptive Data
103:Although Oquawka was not chosen to host any of the
16:Local government building in the United States
289:
8:
213:Illinois courthouses: an illustrated history
79:, and one of the first acts of the original
139:Outside, the facade features a four-column
883:Brick buildings and structures in Illinois
296:
282:
274:
184:
182:
180:
178:
176:
174:
172:
170:
168:
207:
205:
203:
201:
199:
197:
23:Front and eastern side of the courthouse
243:
241:
239:
237:
164:
898:Greek Revival architecture in Illinois
878:Government buildings completed in 1842
7:
253:Historic American Buildings Survey
14:
269:Henderson County Clerk's Office
893:County courthouses in Illinois
1:
31:is a government building in
29:Henderson County Courthouse
914:
305:Current county courthouses
315:
191:Chicago: H.H. Hill, 1882.
131:rectangle, built in the
111:spoke on October 4, and
105:Lincoln-Douglas debates
24:
854:40.93528°N 90.95333°W
22:
219:: Donning, 2009, 64.
859:40.93528; -90.95333
850: /
151:, and an octagonal
117:state appeals court
25:
833:
832:
81:county commission
905:
865:
864:
862:
861:
860:
855:
851:
848:
847:
846:
843:
298:
291:
284:
275:
256:
247:Gross, Ralph S.
245:
232:
229:Henderson County
226:
220:
211:Weiser, Dennis.
209:
192:
186:
41:Henderson County
913:
912:
908:
907:
906:
904:
903:
902:
868:
867:
858:
856:
852:
849:
844:
841:
839:
837:
836:
834:
829:
311:
302:
265:
260:
259:
246:
235:
227:
223:
210:
195:
187:
166:
161:
125:
61:
17:
12:
11:
5:
911:
909:
901:
900:
895:
890:
885:
880:
870:
869:
831:
830:
828:
827:
822:
817:
812:
807:
802:
797:
792:
787:
782:
777:
772:
767:
762:
757:
752:
747:
742:
737:
732:
727:
722:
717:
712:
707:
702:
697:
692:
687:
682:
677:
672:
667:
662:
657:
652:
647:
642:
637:
632:
627:
622:
617:
612:
607:
602:
597:
592:
587:
582:
577:
572:
567:
562:
557:
552:
547:
542:
537:
532:
527:
522:
517:
512:
507:
502:
497:
492:
487:
482:
477:
472:
467:
462:
457:
452:
447:
442:
437:
432:
427:
422:
417:
412:
407:
402:
397:
392:
387:
382:
377:
372:
367:
362:
357:
352:
347:
342:
337:
332:
327:
322:
316:
313:
312:
303:
301:
300:
293:
286:
278:
272:
271:
264:
263:External links
261:
258:
257:
233:
221:
217:Virginia Beach
193:
163:
162:
160:
157:
124:
121:
60:
57:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
910:
899:
896:
894:
891:
889:
886:
884:
881:
879:
876:
875:
873:
866:
863:
826:
823:
821:
818:
816:
813:
811:
808:
806:
803:
801:
798:
796:
793:
791:
788:
786:
783:
781:
778:
776:
773:
771:
768:
766:
763:
761:
758:
756:
753:
751:
748:
746:
743:
741:
738:
736:
733:
731:
728:
726:
723:
721:
718:
716:
713:
711:
708:
706:
703:
701:
698:
696:
693:
691:
688:
686:
683:
681:
678:
676:
673:
671:
668:
666:
663:
661:
658:
656:
653:
651:
648:
646:
643:
641:
638:
636:
633:
631:
628:
626:
623:
621:
618:
616:
613:
611:
608:
606:
603:
601:
598:
596:
593:
591:
588:
586:
583:
581:
578:
576:
573:
571:
568:
566:
563:
561:
558:
556:
553:
551:
548:
546:
543:
541:
538:
536:
533:
531:
528:
526:
523:
521:
518:
516:
513:
511:
508:
506:
503:
501:
498:
496:
493:
491:
488:
486:
483:
481:
478:
476:
473:
471:
468:
466:
463:
461:
458:
456:
453:
451:
448:
446:
443:
441:
438:
436:
433:
431:
428:
426:
423:
421:
418:
416:
413:
411:
408:
406:
403:
401:
398:
396:
393:
391:
388:
386:
383:
381:
378:
376:
373:
371:
368:
366:
363:
361:
358:
356:
353:
351:
348:
346:
343:
341:
338:
336:
333:
331:
328:
326:
323:
321:
318:
317:
314:
310:
306:
299:
294:
292:
287:
285:
280:
279:
276:
270:
267:
266:
262:
254:
250:
244:
242:
240:
238:
234:
230:
225:
222:
218:
214:
208:
206:
204:
202:
200:
198:
194:
190:
185:
183:
181:
179:
177:
175:
173:
171:
169:
165:
158:
156:
154:
150:
146:
142:
137:
134:
133:Greek Revival
130:
122:
120:
118:
114:
110:
106:
101:
99:
95:
91:
85:
82:
78:
73:
71:
70:Warren County
67:
58:
56:
54:
50:
49:United States
46:
42:
38:
34:
30:
21:
835:
494:
224:
212:
188:
138:
126:
123:Architecture
102:
96:), 1869 (to
92:), 1865 (to
86:
74:
62:
28:
26:
857: /
720:Rock Island
77:county seat
37:county seat
872:Categories
845:90°57′12″W
815:Williamson
790:Washington
760:Stephenson
655:Montgomery
580:Livingston
530:Jo Daviess
405:Cumberland
159:References
98:Biggsville
53:courthouse
842:40°56′7″N
820:Winnebago
805:Whiteside
775:Vermilion
725:St. Clair
625:McDonough
520:Jefferson
495:Henderson
440:Effingham
370:Christian
365:Champaign
325:Alexander
94:Gladstone
825:Woodford
765:Tazewell
740:Schuyler
735:Sangamon
715:Richland
710:Randolph
665:Moultrie
610:Marshall
595:Macoupin
570:Lawrence
545:Kankakee
505:Iroquois
480:Hamilton
465:Gallatin
455:Franklin
400:Crawford
309:Illinois
45:Illinois
700:Pulaski
630:McHenry
600:Madison
565:LaSalle
550:Kendall
535:Johnson
510:Jackson
485:Hancock
445:Fayette
435:Edwards
420:Douglas
385:Clinton
355:Carroll
350:Calhoun
141:portico
119:judge.
113:Lincoln
109:Douglas
66:platted
59:History
33:Oquawka
785:Warren
780:Wabash
750:Shelby
730:Saline
705:Putnam
675:Peoria
660:Morgan
650:Monroe
645:Mercer
640:Menard
635:McLean
620:Massac
605:Marion
525:Jersey
515:Jasper
490:Hardin
475:Grundy
470:Greene
460:Fulton
425:DuPage
415:DeWitt
410:DeKalb
345:Bureau
255:, n.d.
153:cupola
145:stucco
90:Warren
35:, the
800:White
795:Wayne
770:Union
755:Stark
745:Scott
685:Piatt
680:Perry
615:Mason
590:Macon
585:Logan
500:Henry
430:Edgar
390:Coles
375:Clark
340:Brown
335:Boone
320:Adams
149:gable
129:story
810:Will
695:Pope
690:Pike
670:Ogle
560:Lake
555:Knox
540:Kane
450:Ford
395:Cook
380:Clay
360:Cass
330:Bond
27:The
575:Lee
307:in
39:of
874::
251:,
236:^
215:.
196:^
167:^
72:.
47:,
43:,
297:e
290:t
283:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
