Sangamon County - American Courthouses

Sangamon County is named for the Sangamon River the name of which is derived from the Pottawatomie Indian word “sain-guee-mon”, meaning “where there is plenty to eat”.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Menard County and Logan County

E – Macon County and Christian County

S – Montgomery County and Macoupin County

W – Morgan County and Cass County

Created: January 30, 1821

County Seat:

Springfield 1821 – present

County Courthouse – Springfield

Location: 200 South 9th Street / East Monroe Street

Built: 1989 – 1991

Style: Modern

Architect: Fischer – Wimosky Architects

Contractor: C Iber & Sons, Incorporated

Description: The building faces west and is a seven story red colored brick, steel, glass and concrete structure. The rectangular shaped building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Springfield. The west front has a large brick arch extending to the top of the building with a concave glass section at the upper levels. There are arches at the north and south sides. White colored stone trim is along the top of the first story, top of the fourth story and top of the seventh story. The upper three stories are recessed and the roof line is flat. In the interior is an entrance lobby. Hallways run north-south along the west front with the twelve County Circuit Court courtrooms located along the east side of the fifth, sixth and seventh stories. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 7th Judicial Circuit. Along the east side is the four story County Jail.

Old County Courthouse – Springfield

Location:

Built: 1837 – 1840

Style: Greek Revival

Architect: John Francis Rogue

Contractor: Local trades

Description: The building faces south and is a two story dolomite stone structure. The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1837. The building is the fifth state house constructed and was used until 1876 when it was sold to Sangamon County for use as a courthouse until 1966. The building has a stark façade of locally quarried stone. At the front is a portico with four stone columns. A narrow dome is supported by thin columns. The interior is elegant with an impressive double staircase. The restored rooms are furnished with original and reproduction pieces. The building originally housed the House of Representatives, Senate and Supreme Court. The building was dismantled in the 1960,s and the underground building that houses the Illinois State Historical Library was constructed. The building was resembled on top of the new structure.

See: The 7th Judicial District includes Greene County, Jersey County, Macoupin County, Morgan County and Scott County.

History: The county was created in 1821 and Springfield was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a one story log structure built by John Kelley in 1821 at a cost of $2.50. The second courthouse was a two story square shaped brick structure built in 1830 to 1831 at a cost of $6,841.00. The first courthouse and the lot were sold to John B. Moffett for $626.00. In 1845, when a lot on the southeast corner of Sixth Street and Washington Street was purchased for roughly $6,000 by the county, the third courthouse, a brick and stone structure was built at a cost of $9,680. In 1876, the court moved into the Old State Capitol which became the fourth courthouse. The county had acquired the land and building in 1869. The third courthouse was demolished in 1877. The building was altered in 1898 to 1899 with the addition of a third story. The fifth courthouse was constructed in 1989 to 1991.

See: Illinois Supreme Court and Illinois Appellate Court – Springfield