Cumberland County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Cumberland County's courthouse in Toledo, Illinois, was built between September 1887 and May 1888 for $17,700. S. S. Goehring and L. L. Pierson erected it from plans by McDonald Brothers of Louisville, Kentucky, and local citizens donated the bricks and sand. The building has round-headed windows on the south side, arched entrances beneath a cupola on the east and west, and Italian Renaissance details including columns, balustrades, cornices and bracketed windows. Its significance is political: it has served as the center of county government in one building for 94 years, on a site used since 1856. The county seat was moved from Greenup to the new town of Prairie City, later renamed Toledo, after an 1855 referendum. A fire destroyed the first courthouse in 1885, and a second vote in 1886 kept the seat in Toledo. Changes include a 1920s south addition and glass entrance doors added in 1966, both considered minor.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the courthouse is politically significant as the center of county government for 94 continuous years in the same building and 125 years on the same site. The site was confirmed by referendums after the county seat moved from Greenup to Prairie City (later Toledo). The present building replaced an earlier courthouse destroyed by fire in 1885.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 81000220, listed June 11, 1981. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Court House Sq., Toledo |
|---|---|
| County | Cumberland County |
| Listed | June 11, 1981 |
| Reference number | 81000220 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | S.S. Goehring and L.L. Pierson / McDonald Brothers |
| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance ornamentation (columns, balustrades, cornices, bracketed windows) under a gabled roof with a tower or cupola |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and still in use as the county courthouse; condition listed as excellent with minor alterations. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 39.27266, -88.24485 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 81000220.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5193869
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.