Green County - American Courthouses

Green County is named for Nathaniel Greene, who was a general in the American Revolutionary War.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Dane County

E – Rock County

S – Winnebago County, Illinois and Stephenson County, Illinois

W – Lafayette County and Iowa County

Created: December 8, 1836

County Seat:

Monroe 1836 – present

County Courthouse – Monroe

Location: 1016 16th Avenue / 10th Street

Built: 1891 – 1892

Style: Richardsonian Romanesque

Architect: Henry Hobson Richardson and G Stanley Mansfield

Contractor: W J McAlpen

Description: The building faces west and is a two story red colored brick from maiden rock, wood and stone structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of Courthouse Square in the center of Monroe. There is a stone portico on the south front. The building has a course stone foundation a square clock tower and round towers. Stone trim decorated the corners and windows. The building has a hipped roof. The interior has a black-and-white tile checkered floor, oak wainscot, and plaster walls and ceiling, all of which appear to be original. Light fixtures are shades of wrought iron with stained glass covering suspended exposed incandescent light bulbs. The former courtroom is large and open, spanning the second story from north to south. Two 8-foot-by-ll-foot murals are on the east and west walls in the north end of the room, the latter serving as a backdrop to the judge’s bench. A stepped spectators gallery occupies the south third of the room and the court area, behind a low railing, uses the north third. Surrounding the entire room is a low, oak wainscot beneath a raised plaster meander interlaced with a raised plaster floral design with gold leaf accents. In 2021 to 2023 the building was restored. The architect was Renaissance Historic Exteriors.

See: National Register of Historic Places – Green County Courthouse

County Justice Center – Monroe

Location: 2841 6th Street / Highway 11

Built: 2008 – 2010

Style: Modern

Architect: Potter Lawson Architects of Madison

Contractor: J P Cullen & Sons, Inc.

Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick, glass, steel and concrete structure. The rectangular shaped building is located on spacious landscaped grounds to the east of the center of Monroe. The building has a raised basement. Towards the west side at the south front is a protruding tower which rises above the main section. Along the east side of the south front are large windows. The roof line is flat. In the interior is a high entrance lobby with glass windows on the south and along the top. The hallways run east-west along the large windows. There are two County Circuit Court courtrooms along the north side of the second story and two hearing rooms along the north side of the first story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 5th Judicial Circuit.

See: The 5th Judicial District includes Columbia County, Dane County, Lafayette County, Rock County and Sauk County.

History: The county was created in 1836 and Monroe was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was the American House, a hotel built in 1841 built with county assistance. The second courthouse was a two story Greek Revival structure built in 1844. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1891 to 1892. The County Justice Center was constructed in 2008 to 2010 at a cost of $12,500,000.