Henderson County is named for the Henderson River which flows through the county and which was named after Henderson County in Kentucky.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Mercer County
E – Warren County
S – McDonough County and Hancock County
W – Lee County, Iowa and Des Moines County, Iowa
Created: January 20, 1841
County Seat:
Oquawka 1841 – present
County Courthouse – Oquawka
Location: 307 Warren Street / 4th Street
Built: 1841 – 1842
Style: Greek Revival
Architect: Abner Hebbard
Contractor: Alexis Phelps and Jason Ryason
Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Oquawka. On the south front is a large portico supported by four large white colored columns. Above the pediment is a large white colored square tower with an octagonal white colored wood cupola with windows. The roof is hipped. In the interior wood stairs ascend to the County Circuit Court courtroom located on the south side of the second story. The courtroom used to occupy most of the second story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 9th Judicial Circuit. An addition was built in 1901. A further addition was constructed in 1965. The architect was Scribbins, Klusmeyer and Mears.
Note: The courthouse is the third oldest courthouse in Illinois still in use after the courthouses in Putnam County and Jo Daviess County. Jason Ryason was the brick mason.
See: The 9th Judicial District includes Fulton County, Hancock County, Knox County, McDonough County and Warren County.
History: Oquawka served as the Warren County county seat from 1830 to 1836 when it was located in that county. The county was created in 1841 and Oquawka was named as the county seat as it was now located in the newly created county.. The first and present courthouse was constructed in 1841 to 1842 at a cost of $1,219.
County Courthouse – Oquawka
County Circuit Court courtroom
Photos taken 2007 and 2025
Images 9*