Metamora Courthouse
Why it's listed
Built in 1845 on the public square in Metamora, Illinois, this forty-by-fifty-foot brick courthouse served as the seat of Woodford County justice until the county seat moved to Eureka in 1894. It also hosted the traveling court of the old 8th Judicial Circuit. Its Greek temple-inspired design features a gabled roof, a full-width portico with four wooden Ionic columns, brick pilasters, and a large wooden cupola. Local materials were used throughout, including kiln-fired brick, locally milled timber and hand-split shingles. Abraham Lincoln practiced here as a circuit lawyer, and the building is tied to the 1857 case of Melissa Goings. Judge Davis Davis, Adlai E. Stevenson and Robert Ingersoll also appeared in its courtroom. Side wings added in 1884 were removed during restoration in the 1920s, and later work has returned the interior toward its original form. Today it operates as a museum with pioneer-era exhibits downstairs and the courtroom upstairs.
Significance in brief: It served as the Woodford County judicial seat from 1845 to 1894 and as a court building on the old 8th Judicial Circuit, of which it is one of only two surviving court structures. Abraham Lincoln, Judge Davis Davis and other noted lawyers and judges worked there. It is also an example of Greek-inspired civic architecture built from local materials.
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 78001203, listed March 30, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 113 E. Partridge St., Metamora |
|---|---|
| County | Woodford County |
| Listed | March 30, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78001203 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | David Irving (builder/architect) |
| Architectural style | Classic Revival (Greek temple-inspired) |
| Areas of significance | Law, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored toward its original appearance and currently used as a museum, with the second-floor courtroom displayed as in the days of the 8th Judicial Circuit. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 40.79184, -89.36250 (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 78001203.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6823000
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.