Schuyler County Courthouse (Illinois) facts for kids
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The Schuyler County Courthouse is an important government building located in Rushville, Illinois. Rushville is the main town, or county seat, of Schuyler County. This building was finished in 1882 and is the third courthouse in the county's history. It helps the local government serve the people of Schuyler County.
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A Look Back: Early Courthouses
Schuyler County was created in 1825 from a part of Pike County. At first, a group of people chose a spot for the new county's main town. But there were some problems with that location.
So, in early 1826, the state government allowed the town to move. The new town was named "Rushville" to honor a famous person named Benjamin Rush.
The First Two Buildings
The very first courthouse in Rushville was a small building made of logs. It was built in late 1826. This log building was about 14 feet by 16 feet and 10 feet tall.
However, this log courthouse quickly became too small. So, a new building made of brick was finished in 1830. This brick courthouse was used for over 50 years.
The Current Courthouse Building
By 1880, the old brick courthouse was getting very old and worn out. County leaders decided to build a new one. They used the plans from another courthouse in Michigan, the Monroe County Courthouse.
Construction on the new Schuyler County Courthouse finished in the middle of 1882. It cost about $36,000 to build. When it was new, this two-story building had a special entrance area called an arcade. It also had a tall clock tower with a pointy top, called a spire, on one corner. Other corners had shorter, square towers.
How It Looks Today
The courthouse looks a bit different today than it did when it was first built. In the 1990s, a big storm damaged the building. This storm made it necessary to remove the tall spire from the clock tower.
Most of the inside of the courthouse still looks like it did when it was new. In the 1970s, some parts of the inside were changed. But about 20 years later, these changes were fixed. A local judge came up with a clever idea for the repairs. He asked a skilled roofer to help restore the inside of the building. Younger people who needed to complete community service also helped with simpler tasks. Many other local people also volunteered their time and effort. Because of all this help, the repair project cost the county nothing!
