Shelby County

US States / H-L / Illinois / Shelby County
Shelby

Shelby County is named for Isaac Shelby, who was the first Governor of Kentucky and who defeated the British at the Battle of Kings Mountain during the Revolutionary War.

 

Surrounding County Courthouses: 

N – Macon County and Moultrie County

E – Moultrie County, Coles County and Cumberland County

S – Effingham County and Fayette County

W – Montgomery County and Christian County

 

Created:  January 23, 1827                                                        Map of Illinois highlighting Shelby County

County Seat:

Shelbyville  1827 – present

 

County Courthouse – Shelbyville

 

Location:  301 East Main Street / North Washington Street

Built:  1879 – 1882

Style:  Victorian-Gothic

Architect:  O H Placey of Lincoln, Nebraska

Contractor:  Thomas Caldwell and Hugh Caldwell, of Ottawa

 

Description: The building faces south and is a two story dark red colored brick and stone  structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Shelbyville. The south front of the rectangular shaped building has an arched entrance on the first story and two Grecian statues representing the Goddesses of Liberty and Justice, in niches above the entrance. On each corner are square brick towers with arched windows and steep roofs with parapet at the top. On the center of the roof is an octagonal tower with steep roof and parapet at the top. In the second story courtroom is the Robert Root painting of the Lincoln-Thornton debate. 

 

See:  The architect, O H Placey of Lincoln, designed the courthouse in Nebraska in Washington County.

 

See:  The 4th Judicial District includes Christian CountyClay CountyClinton County, Effingham County, Fayette CountyJasper CountyMarion County and Montgomery County.

 

History:  The county was created in 1827 and Shelbyville was selected as the county seat. The county commissioners first met at the home of Barnet Bone. The first courthouse was a two story log structure built by Willian Hall in 1827 to 1828 at a cost of $110. The second courthouse was a two story structure built in 1832 at a cost of $1,094. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1879 to 1882 at a cost of $70,000.

 

 

1796i-i08

County Courthouse – Shelbyville

 

 

1794i-i08

 

 

1795i-i08

 

 

1798i-i08

 

 

z_1

 

 

z1_0

 

 

1799i-i08

Photos taken 2008