Effingham County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Effingham County's courthouse, built in 1870-71 at 110 East Jefferson in Effingham, Illinois, replaced an earlier brick courthouse destroyed by fire in 1869. William Brown of St. Louis designed it, and W. E. Grey built it for about $28,000, plus extra for stone window headers and quoins. The two-story brick, stone and wood building has a concave Mansard roof with dormers, corbeled rooflines, columned porches on the north and south ends, and a bell tower that enclosed the original belvedere in 1913. It is the most elaborate of four Second Empire buildings in the county. The interior has been modernized, though wainscoting and transoms remain. Beyond its architecture, the building has housed county officials, records and the circuit court since 1871. It was the site of the 1875 trial and hanging of Nathan Burgess, the county's last execution, and it has hosted centennial rallies, civil defense training and annual Old Settlers Reunion events.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a prime example of the Second Empire style in Effingham County and the fanciest of the county's four Second Empire buildings. It has also been the focal point of county government and the circuit court since 1871. It hosted the 1875 trial and the last execution in the county, and it has served as a center of community events.
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 85002304, listed September 11, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 110 E. Jefferson St., Effingham |
|---|---|
| County | Effingham County |
| Listed | September 11, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002304 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1870-71 |
| Architect / builder | William Brown of St. Louis, architect; W. E. Grey, Contractor |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as the county courthouse; exterior condition described as excellent, with the interior modernized over the years and some deterioration of stone window header ends. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 39.12166, -88.54121 (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 85002304.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5347487
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.