Fulton County - American Courthouses

Fulton County is named for Robert Fulton, who was the first successful builder of a steamboat on American waters.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Knox County and Peoria County

E – Peoria County, Tazewell County and Mason County

S – Mason County and Schuyler County

W – Schuyler County, McDonough County and Warren County

Created: January 28, 1823

County Seat:

Lewistown 1823 – present

County Courthouse – Lewistown

Location: 100 Main Street North / Washington Street

Built: 1897 – 1898

Style: Beaux Arts

Architect: Charles Bell of Bell and Kent from Council Bluffs, Iowa

Contractor: H V V Clute, R M Hinde and M P Rice

Description: The building faces east and is a two story gray stone structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Lewistown. The east front has a protruding tower with archway on the first story at the entrance. On the second story, is a large arched window. Smaller towers with black colored roofs are at each corner of the building. In the center of the building is a high square dome with clock and silver colored roof at the top. In the interior are three County Circuit Court courtrooms. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 9th Judicial Circuit. In the 1970’s, the west addition was constructed.

See: The present courthouse was designed after the 1896 Berrien County courthouse in Michigan which courthouse was also designed by Bell and Kent, and a similar courthouse was built in Woodford County, Illinois in 1897 t0 1898. The columns from the third courthouse built in 1838 are located at the Oak Hill Cemetery on the north side of Lewistown.

See: The 9th Judicial District includes Hancock County, Henderson County, Knox County, McDonough County and Warren County.

History: The county was created in 1823 and Lewistown was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a log structure erected in 1823. The second courthouse was a two story simple frame structure built by John McNeil in 1826 at a cost of $649. The third courthouse was a two story brick and stone structure designed by Major Newton Walker of Lewistown and built in 1837 to 1838 at a cost of $9,000. The courthouse was destroyed by fire on December 14, 1894. The county went without a courthouse for twelve years. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1897 to 1898 at a cost of $100,000.