St. Clair County is named for Arthur St. Clair, who was governor of the Northwest Territory and the 9th President of the United States in Congress Assembled when the Northwest Ordinance and United States Constitution were passed.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Henry County
E – Benton County and Hickory County
S – Polk County and Cedar County
W – Vernon County and Bates County
Created: January 29, 1841
County Seat:
Osceola 1841 – present
County Courthouse – Osceola
Location: 665 2nd Street / Chestnut Street
Built: 1916 – 1923
Style: Classical Revival
Architect: Clifton B Sloan
Contractor: D M Wall.
Description: The building faces northwest and is a two story cream colored brick ( formerly buff colored ) and concrete structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of the Public Square in the center of Osceola. The northwest front has an entrance with stone trim. There are four columns rising to the top of the second story. A wide cornice runs below the flat roof line. The northwest section of the building is recessed. On the southeast side is a one story addition. In the interior there is a dual central staircase. The large County Circuit Court courtroom is located along the northwest side of the second story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 27th Judicial Circuit.
See: The 27th Judicial Circuit includes Bates County and Henry County,
History: The county was created in 1841 and Osceola was selected as the county seat. The first courts met in private homes. The first courthouse was a two story brick structure built in 1842. The courthouse was burned in September 1861 during the Civil War. The second courthouse was a two story brick structure designed by A G Clarke and Thomas Sutherland and built by Hicks and Brown under the supervision of William O Mead as superintendent in 1866 to 1867 at a cost of $15,000. The courthouse was vacated in 1908 and the county rented premises. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1916 to 1923 at a cost of $52,000.
County Courthouse – Osceola
County Circuit Court courtroom
Photos taken 2009 and 2023
Images 19*