Jersey County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Jersey County's courthouse sits in the middle of the Public Square in Jerseyville and is the third courthouse on that site. Voters approved $40,000 in bonds in 1892, the cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1893, and the building was occupied in summer 1894 at a total cost of $40,411.85. Architect Henry Elliot of Jacksonville designed it in the Romanesque Revival style, using rough-faced buff Grafton limestone with beige Bedford stone trim, a cross plan, and an octagonal tower above an interior rotunda. Inside are stained glass, plaster ornament and pressed metal ceilings. Elliot also designed courthouses in Carrollton, Paris and Pittsfield, and the Jerseyville building borrows from the Paris design at lower cost, partly because local stone was used. The courthouse still holds county records and houses the offices of the clerks, sheriff, treasurer and other officers. Alterations include an enclosed courtroom balcony and dropped ceilings.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites criteria A and C. The building is the seat of government for Jersey County and houses its political, judicial and administrative functions. It is also a very good Illinois example of Romanesque Revival public building design and an important work of architect Henry Elliot.
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 86001008, listed May 8, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Public Sq., Jerseyville |
|---|---|
| County | Jersey County |
| Listed | May 8, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001008 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1893-1936 |
| Architect / builder | Henry Elliot (architect); F.W. Menke of Quincy, Illinois (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| 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 integrity described as very good and interior as good. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Jerseyville Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.11890, -90.32914 (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 86001008.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15229517
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.