Illinois Courthouse Adventure, Pt 12 Modern

After unaccounted for delays, I've reached the last installment of consolidating our experiences with exploring the 102 active courthouses in Illinois. (More precisely, we only saw 101 as the Franklin County Courthouse in Benton was razed the week before we got there, and we have not yet gone back to Benton to see the new building that is now open.) We saw the courthouses in an order dictated by the whim of geography and where we happened to be camping, so they were encountered in no discernible order.

In this series of blogs, I have grouped them according to architectural style, in rough groupings based on rather idiosyncratic divisions of style. Now that I'm almost done, I think an organization of the buildings based on year of construction, starting with the oldest in Hennepin (Putnam County) running up to Joliet (Will County)--or eventually Benton (Franklin County). In my style categories, I attempted to rank order the buildings by quality; but I discovered that except for a few notable cases of really horrible buildings (yes, I'm looking at you Quincy and Springfield) my assessment was constantly shifting.

At any rate, here is the final collection of buildings. As much of a surprise to me as to anyone, these modern buildings, for the most part, represent my favorite sub-collection of the courthouses. I even am risking being ostracized by everyone in Belleville by proudly asserting that I quite like the "new" St Clair County Courthouse, which I can't actually recall anyone ever saying anything good about.

So with a sense of sadness and also of relief, here's the end of this series of blogs covering our courthouse adventure. I hope that at last one person found some interest in it.

But before the courthouses,  quick overview of modern architecture style, which has been hinted at in previous posts. The Getty Museum lists five key hallmarks of modern architecture:

1. New Building Materials. Traditional architecture relied primarily on wood, brick and stone. Scientific developments of the Twentieth Century allowed the use of new materials such as mass-produced glass, steel, reinforced concrete, and other materials that allowed architects to experiments with spaces and textures previously impossible.
2. Engineering advancements allowed buildings to be less dependent on thick walls. Buildings could grow taller and have bigger footprints with fewer interior walls, enormous expanses of glass revolutionized the use of light and space.
3. Form Follows Function. Buildings were designed abandoning the idea of adornment or reference to historical styles. It no longer made sense to design a school building, for example, to look like a Grecian temple. As a result, modern buildings typically have smooth, sleek surfaces without decoration, but rather try to highlight the functionality of the building.
4. Comfort and Health. Oddly, the idea that a building should be comfortable is actually quite recent. Modern buildings have features that should make inhabitants more comfortable, with more light, bigger rooms, spaces that accommodate human activities, and enhanced accessibility.
5. Social Progress. Modern architecture generally seeks to advance equality for all rather than create a sense of privilege or class.

So here are the Illinois courthouses that fall roughly into this category.

Iroquois County Courthouse

Watseka, Illinois

Visited: January 4, 2021

Erected: 1966

Architects: Graham Anderson Probst and White

This is one of the most memorable and unique of courthouses in the state. It is constructed entirely of concrete with only the two-story entryway made of darkened glass. Except for the entry, there are very few windows. Its distinctive facade rely created a feeling that this building is "significant." 

In general, I'm in favor of the courthouse being located centrally, close to the heart of a community. In that respect, the courthouse in Watseka fails as this building sits quite out of town in a large open field, facing a residential subdivision. Somehow that unlikely setting suits this building. My desire to enter a building (we couldn't get into any courthouses because of pandemic restrictions) was probably strongest here than in any other location.

Interestingly, the land on which the courthouse sits and the money to build it was donated entirely from the estate of an Iroquois County resident, Mrs. Kathleen Clifton, making it the only courthouse in the United States built entirely with private funds.

Watseka is like so many medium Illinois towns. The downtown commercial district is largely deserted, with an assortment of resale shops, nail salons, and small offices taking up the spaces that were at one time a thriving retail district.

The former 1866 Courthouse still stands and currently is used as a historical museum.

Iroquois County was named for the Iroquois, a confederation of six Native American Peoples (the Mohawk, Oneida, Seneca, Onandaga, Cayuga, and Tuscarora) who settled along the Hudson River Valley in New York.

Lake County Courthouse

Waukegan, Illinois

Visited: November 1, 2020

Erected 1968

Architects: Daniel and Robinson

The Lake County Courthouse is a sprawling complex with several buildings arranged across several blocks in downtown Waukegan. This high tower of brick, stone, and glass, is the most striking section of the buildings. The tall tower is marked by horizontal bands of glass inset into brick walls. There is a very pleasing "crown" that extends slightly past the building's facade and is pierced with narrow vertical windows. A lower building without much to distinguish it extends to the south.

Maybe it is because these were the "new" buildings when I was a child first paying attention to what buildings looked like but I really love this kind of structure. The lack of columns on the corners gives it a lightness and floating feeling that just makes me happy. The buff colored stone gives it some warmth that is sometimes lacking in concrete structures.

Waukegan itself is a large city (tenth largest in the state) that unfortunately has witnessed a history of challenges. It developed in the 19th Century quite independently of Chicago as a center of intense industrial activity, attracting immigrants from northern Europe of great diversity. It developed a strong labor identity, but then also some of the problems inherent in organized crime. It also had a large influx of African Americans and was the site of some violent racial unrest.

Lake County is named for Lake Michigan on which it is located.

Will County Courthouse

Joliet, Illinois

Visited: February 7, 2021

Built: 2020

Architects: Wright and Co.

The Will County Courthouse is among the larges we encountered and is really attractive. The bulk of it is a multi-story tower faced entirely with glass, arranged in irregular-sized large panes. It has a lower glass entry pavilion ad a three story segment, also glass extending to the right of the entrance. It presents a striking presence appropriate to civic government from the street.

It sits right ext to the 1968 Will County Courthouse, which I believe is slated for demolition. It isn't entirely clear what the problem with the former building is, other than being generally found unattractive. I imagine that she had something to do with it as the new building houses 38 courtrooms, which certainly could not fit in the old building. The former courthouse is concrete in the brutalist style which so many people find so easy to detest. Personally, I rather like the former building. To be fair, in addition to being to small, it's possible that like so many buildings of this style, constructing everything of poured concrete might have made it unable to adapt to new patterns of usage.

Will County is named for Dr. Conrad Will who was a member of the original Illinois constitutional convention.

Cook County Courthouse

Chicago, Illinois

Visited: Sptember 6, 2020

Built: 1965

Architects: Jacques Brownson of C F Murphy Associates, Loebl Shaman & Bennett and Skidmore Owings & Merrill

It's sort of impossible to put this building in the same category with the other Illinois courthouses. It is 31 story building constructed of Cor-Ten, a self-weahering steel designed to rust and actually strengthen the structure. This rusting gives it its distinctive brown color. The facade itself is almost entirely glass, with windows arranged in stripes all the way to the top.

This is a significant building in the International Style. When it was built it was actually the tallest building in Chicago until the John Hancock Building was built. It also has the distinction of being the tallest flat-roofed building in the world with fewer than 40 stories (typically a building this tall would have 50-60 floors). I don't know who dreams up these statistics.

Daley Plaza, in front of the building, is significant as being the location of the famous Chicago Picasso, a gift to the city from the artist. I think it's overall a terrific building.

Cook County is named for Daniel Pope Cook, the second Representative from Illinois.

Peoria County Courthouse

Peoria, Illinois

Visited: July 19, 2020

Erected: 1964

Architects:  Lankton-Ziegele Terry and Associates

The Peoria County Courthouse is constructed of stone, concrete, and glass. The entrance is marked by a section of glass panels. to the right is a tall block faced with stone, punctuated with narrow vertical windows. The he left is a low block with dark stone and small windows on the ground floor and a windowless expanse of stone/concrete above.

Much like the courthouse in Waukegan, its materials and clean lines really seems to capture the sixties modern international feel. Unfortunately, my photo doesn't capture the full building at all well. (This was early in our courthouse hunting and I didn't think about the appropriate way to record our visits. This is one of the buildings I want to most go back to in order o more fully capture its essence.)

Peoria itself is nestled into a very wide section of the Illinois River Valley. I think the rivers in Illinois create some magnificent landscapes, and this includes this area. Like almost all of Illinois, much of the manufacturing strength of Peoria has shut down, so it is not nearly as bustling as it once was. I feel a special affinity for this area, though, because my dad was born and raised in Peoria County.

Peoria was settled in 1691 and is the oldest permanent European settlement in what is now the state of Illinois. A bit of trivia new to me: before Prohibition, Peoria was the uncontested Whiskey capital of the United States/

Peoria County was named after the Indian tribe called the Peorias.

Saint Clair County Courthouse

Belleville, Illinois

Visited: August 17, 2020 (and perpetually, since Belleville is home)

Erected: 1976

Architects: Hellmuth, Obata & Kasabaum and Weisenstein, Hausmann, Ganschinietz, and Klingel, Inc.

I can't really talk about this building without being upfront about my personal history with it. I've lived most of my life in Belleville and so am very aware of the history. I suppose there are stories of similar impact in other towns where an old building was torn down, but it has left an epic scar in everyone who was alive at the time.

Belleville had a grand classical/Italianate 1859 courthouse sitting on the public square. I will go out on a limb and (after seeing so many other courthouses) say that it actually was not that beautiful of a building. It DID have a magnificent stone staircase leading up to a portico supported by four enormous stone columns. This facade formed a particularly memorable backdrop for significant events, like and appearance by President Kennedy. It had also been the end point of Hobo Day (Homecoming) parades and celebrations for Belleville Township High School for generations. Aside from this impressive facade it was a cramped building with absolutely no space around it and adjacent buildings.

There was a battle about whether to save it or not, when one Friday evening the construction company rammed a wrecking ball into a big chunk of the building; there were terrible storms that weekend and it was somehow decided that there was no way to save it, so down it came. At any rate, it is a universal offense, still fifty years later, that the old courthouse was torn down. The action spurred an interest in historic preservation in Belleville, one that has only been marginally successful; city workers seem to have no greater pleasure than tearing down old houses and turning them in to parking lots.

As a personal memory, while the courthouse was just a pile of rubble, many people sifted through the wreckage for souvenirs. We were not alone in scavenging a few bricks and a little slab of marble from the wreckage; they were in our garage for the longest time, but I have no idea what eventually happened  to them. The current plan is that the four columns (minus the capitals) are going to be at last be re-erected at the entrance to downtown on Main and 6th Street.

The replacement building is a modernest concrete structure that everyone loves to hate. I have to say  think it is beautiful and a distinct improvement, at least from the outside. The building is L-shaped, with two concrete and glass wings connected with a four story glass atrium. The building faces a large public plaza with two pools with multiple fountains in each. The one criticism I have is the ungainly arched bridge connecting the building to the parking garage.

Of all the buildings we visited, this one perhaps takes the most advantage of its site. the two wings embrace its corner and make it part of the landmark Veterans Fountain that sits in the middle of the Square that defines downtown. It is a really great Civic Space.

Saint Clair County is the oldest county in Illinois  was named for Arthur Sinclair, the Commander in Chief of the United States Army after the Revolution.

Randolph County Courthouse

Chester, Illinois

Visited: September 20, 2020

Erected: 1974

Architects: Hanner, Breitweise, and McGlaughlin Architects

The Randolph County Courthouse is constructed of concrete and glass with a green copper roof reminiscent of a Mansard roof. It is composed of disparate pieces that come together as a whole to make a very attractive building. The central section on the front, above low glass entrance doors, is a large flat concrete surface with a large multi-colored version of the County Seal in the center with "Randolph County Court House" written below it in a very fine period-appropriate font. Wings on either side are marked by tall concrete vertical dividers spaced by horizontal windows and capped with the green roof. The building is built right on the bluffs facing the Mississippi River, with the front street view showing two floors but the back the faces the river and spans the slope having three floors. There is an observation deck on the top floor affording what I can only assume is a commanding view of the Mississippi River (the building was closed due to COVID; this is another building I really want to get back to.

Chester itself is an old river town, home to one of the few bridges that cross the Mississippi south of St. Louis. These days, a lot is made of the fact that the creator or the Popeye cartoon was from Chester, so there are statues of characters from that strip around town. Just outside of town is the storied Menard Illinois State Penitentiary.

Randolph County was named for Edmund Randolph, a Revolutionary War soldier, Attorney General, and Secretary of State.

Rock Island County Courthouse

Rock Island, Illinois

Visited: October 11, 2020

Erected:  2018 (?)

Architects: Philips Swager Associates of Peoria

This courthouse is sort of a challenge to discuss and has been a controversial topic in Rock Island for a number of years. Rock Island had a classic-style courthouse from 1898. It had been modified and remodeled many times over the years and, though old and familiar, was sort of a mess. An annex was built next door in 2001, but then I believe the decision was made that the old building would be demolished and the Annex expanded. This expansion made the "new" courthouse sit just a few feet from the old building, which looked pretty ridiculous. But preservationists tried valiantly to prevent the old building from being razed, which seems to me to have been an exercise in futility, as the new building was already built, the old courthouse was already mainly gutted, and the physical placement made access to the new building almost impossible.

We were unable to get a good look really, at the new (current) courthouse because the old building blocked one's view of it. So this picture is sort of taken from the side. I think it actually is a pretty attractive building, but it's hard to say. It's pale grey stone and brick, with lots of glass. It's mainly constructed of square shapes but is relieved by some large, curved glass walls. (At least I think it is.)

As of April 2023 it seems that actual demolition was started, so I'm eager to go back to Rock Island to get a better view of the new building. Honestly, the old building could only be defended by blind allegiance to saving anything old, because it really no longer was a building worth saving.

Rock Island County is named for the island called Rock Island that is in the middle of the Mississippi River.

Winnebago County Courthouse

Rockford, Illinois

Visited: February 5, 2021

Erected: 1968

Architects: Gilbert A Johnson, Kile, and Seehausen Associates

The Winnebago County Courthouse is a nine-story tower of glass, concrete, and brick, with a lower wing extending to the west.  The "front' side is clad entirely in white concrete with a single line of windows extending to the full height of the building. On the other street-facing side, the facade is brick with three lines of vertical windows. There are essentially no grounds, as the building sits exactly flush with the sidewalk.

There's really not much wrong with the building, other than that there is little to distinguish it as a building of any consequence. If you're not looking for it specifically, there's nothing that elevates this building to one's attention as anything but a generic office building. The lack of any space around it also makes it difficult to actually gain any perspective of it.

Rockford itself is a bit city that seems really to be down on its luck, with very much abandoned industrial property skirting the heart of the city.

Winnebago County is named for the Winnebago Indian tribe.

Stephenson County Courthouse

Freeport, Illinois

Visited: July 17, 2020

Erected: 1974

Architects: Johnson, Kile, and Seehausen

The Stephenson County Courthouse sits in the center of Freeport. It's a three story building of glass, brick, and concrete. The first floor is recessed under the projecting concrete second floor supported by concrete columns. The second floor is largely unornamented, having only a couple windows and a bas relief representation of the county seal about the entrance. The third floor is brick and recessed behind the projecting second story.

The first time I saw this building I hated it; the second time it didn't seem so bad. I think a lot of the negative impact is based on its setting. EVERYTHING is concrete. There isn't a hint of vegetation or ornamentation. There's a nineteenth century Civil War monument (presumably left from the grounds of the previous courthouse) that is sitting awkwardly on the corner; the monument is fine but only serves to reinforce the feeling that one of them--the monument or the building--is in the wrong place.

Freeport is also an old industrial city that is a little bit down at heel, although it has probably the finest city park (Krape Park) that we have encountered in any non-Chicago are city.

Stephenson County is named for Benjamin Stephenson, the Adjutant General of Illinois Territory from 1813 to 1814.

McLean County Courthouse

Bloomington, Illinois

Visited: January 5, 2021

Erected: 1977

Architects: Lundeen, Hilfinger, and Ashbury

The McLean County Courthouse is a glass, concrete, and brick building located on a barren plot on the outskirts of downtown Bloomington. The building is five stories, square, with a projecting entrance extension. upper floors are delineated by white horizontal bands of concrete. Windows are located in a vertical column near the center of the building, with the outer portions marked with vertical bands of stone or brick.

The building just seems dull, perhaps made more so by visiting it on a very grey day. Like the St Clair County Courthouse, this building replaced a much-loved classic building. The difference is that here the old courthouse is still standing and houses a museum on the central town square. If it were still in use, it would certainly count itself among the finest courthouses in the state. Is it better or worse to have the constant reminder of the past?

Bloomington-Normal is among the central Illinois cities that is doing ok. McLean County has some of the best farmland in the state, Bloomington is home to the enormous State Farm Insurance Co, and Normal has Illinois State University, so it has a number of advantages that other cities lack.

McLean County is named for John McLean, a US Representative and Senator from the 1820s.

So this ends this Courthouse Adventure. 101 courthouse buildings. (We're missing the courthouse for Franklin County as it was razed just days before we got to Benton.) It was a project of unexpected pleasure to make a point or traversing every county in the state and recording the seat of local government.

Illinois Courthouse Adventure, Pt 11 Post Modern

 Again, I'm playing it a little fast and loose with categorization, but this grouping tackles what I think of as Postmodern buildings. In general, postmodernism rejected the austere and forbidding nature of modernism. Postmodern uses many of the same materials and usually retains the general approach of clean lines, it also introduces some ornamentation and at least attempt to connect to some older or more traditional aspects of design. Some postmodern designs can be quite stunning, but they also (like most of these courthouses) exude unsophistication and almost a pandering to public taste while still trying to be "modern." The result since the 1980s has been a slew of pretty undistinguished building.

For almost all of the new buildings in this category, it is possible to still see the prior 19th century building that usually has been repurposed. Perhaps it is the recurring reminder of the familiarity of the former courthouses that made it seem desirable to ensure that the new buildings were not be too challenging in the face of public preference for the old. (Just for fun, when possible, I'm including a picture of the still-standing previous building)

Mostly, to me, these buildings end up looking like undistinguished commercial buildings.

Effingham County Courthouse

Effingham, Illinois

Visited: January 6, 2021

Built: 2007

Architect: Durrant Group of Dubuque Iowa

The Effingham County Courthouse is constructed of reddish and buff colored brick. The entrance is marked by a glass tower on the corner. The main facade features large glass windows stretching across all three floors. The first floor is recessed under the upper floor that are supported by a series of columns stretching along the sidewalk. the building is located in the commercial district of Effingham with no surrounding grounds of any sort.

This building is attractive enough, but it fails to inspire the viewer with any special lofty purpose or ideals.

The old courthouse still stands at the town square and currently houses a historical museum and some other public services.

Old Effingham County Courthouse, built 1872.

Effingham sits at the intersection of several major highways and at a major rail intersection (of what was the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Illinois Central Railroad). Because of its location it has been variously known as the "Crossroads of Opportunity" or as the "Heart of America." This latter nickname resulted in the high school abandoning its mascot of "Warriors" and are now the "Flaming Hearts."

There is an enormous steel cross standing just beside the interstate, purportedly the tallest cross in the country. It is indeed massive, but in my opinion, lacking in any sort of actual visual appeal.

Effingham is said to have been named after a Lord Effingham who was a British army officer who refused to fight the Americans in the Revolution, but there is also some contradictory evidence that it was named after a George Effingham who as an early surveyor in the area.

Kendall County Courthouse

Yorkville, Illinois

Visited: November 1, 2020

Built: 1996

Architect: Healy, Snyder, Bender & Assoc. and James W Carpenter and Assoc.

The Kendall County Courthouse is a sprawling one-story building of red brick with stone trim. The central portion presents a soaring arched entrance into a glass enclosed lobby. There is a square white wood and glass cupola crowning the roof. The complex sits somewhat out of the town of Yorkville along a highway and surrounded by vast parking lots.

It seems that the central structure pays homage to the previous courthouse which has a similar cupola and sits high on a hill in the center of Yorkville very near the Fox River. It is now used as an events center.

Old Kendall County Courthouse, built 1864. I can see that it would have been difficult to position the new building in the center of Yorkville without having to destroy considerable residential property, but I do feel there is a big loss with so many of these new buildings being positioned on the outskirts of town, rather than as a central element in a structured town setting. Of course this shows my own prejudice, as I can only assume that so many people that live in subdivisions that are completely auto centric probably think the idea of being stuck in a traditional urban grid with central squares is hopelessly outdated.

The old courthouse is really lovely, but even without going inside, it is obvious that it would be inadequate to deal with a region as large and growing as Kendall County.

Kendall County was named for Amos Kendall, Postmaster General under President Andrew Jackson and partner to Samuel Morse.

Clinton County Courthouse

Carlyle, Illinois

Visited: August 16, 2020

Built:  1997

Architect: Kuhlmann Design Group and Philips Swager and Associates

The courthouse is a red brick building with sone trim. It faces north (oddly, away from the main thoroughfare of Carlyle). The entrance is a projecting glass atrium with wings projecting from each side. It sits on a spacious, largely unlandscaped block.

The building is smart and trim but feels oddly sterile. It seems it should have aspired to more or to less, but as it is it combines some features attempting grandeur (soaring central entrance, stone columns) but fails to be convincing at it.

Carlyle sits just to the south of Carlyle Lake, the state's largest lake created by damming up the Kaskaskia River. Carlyle was a major crossing point using the settling of the territory having a ferry from its earliest days. In 1850 a suspension bridge was built that is still operational, although no longer used for automobile traffic. One bit of trivia I just learned is that when the state capital was moved from Kaskaskia to Vandalia in 1824, Carlyle lost out at being the capital by a single vote.

Clinton County was named after DeWitt Clinton, Mayor of New York City and person responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal. So that means two different counties in Illinois are named after the same man:  DeWitt County and Clinton County.

McHenry County Courthouse

Woodstock, Illinois

Viewed: February 5, 2021

Built: 1972

Architect: Johnson, Kyle, Seehausen and Assoc. of Rockford

The McHenry County Courthouse is a huge rambling building located amidst parking lots a little way out of the town of Woodstock. The entrance is marked by a four-story rotunda faced in dark red flanked with lighter red brick trim, with lots of windows. The biggest expanse of the remainder of the building is of pale brick with smallish windows and a band or red brick running horizontally at the top of the the second and their floors.

To be honest, I was surprised this building was built in 1972, as it exudes a more modern feel; I would have guessed it went up around 1990. There was an addition put on in 1990, but I don't know if that modified its appearance in any significant way.

Again, it just is a unremarkable building set off by neither strikingly architecture nor position. Woodstock, itself, is a very picturesque old town. If there is any chance that it would be recognized is due to being the filming location for the motion picture Groundhog Day.

The original courthouse is still standing, facing the square and now serves as an art center.

Aside from being old, it really isn't that great of a building either, but it does command one's attention and affection by its hilltop position overlooking the town square.

Woodstock is notable as being "Typewriter City." Mid-twentieth Century, over have the typewriters in the world were built in Woodstock. The Woodstock Typewriter Company closed in 1970. The town maintains and uses an ornate 19th Century opera house.

McHenry County was named for General William McHenry who fought in the War of 1812 and the Black Hawk War.

Union County Courthouse

Jonesboro, Illinois

Visited: September 18, 2020

Built: 2013

Architects: HO+K

Union County boasts one of the state's newest courthouses, and by all reports, the building it replaced was truly horrible. The new building is certainly more functional, but I'm pretty ambivalent about the impact it makes. Again, the architects seemed to want to incorporate some elements of grandeur, but didn't execute the design (perhaps because of budget) to be convining. The asymmetric placement of the tower seems sort of clumsy and unrelated to the columns and portico adjoining it. the lone tiny window on the tower looks lost. I assume it opens into a staircase, but is too small to provide any sort of useful light. The four columns hearken back to classical style, but are absolutely barren of any ornamentation; as a result they look like they might have been created by pouring concrete into a carpet roll set on end.

The windows on the left extension are made slightly interesting by the inserted light shelves.

Perhaps with age and a softening of these surfaces it might someday feel like it belongs here.

Jonesboro is perhaps the least memorable and significant site of the seven Lincoln-Douglas Debates.

Union County was named simply for the federal union of the United States.

There is one more category to go: Modern Courthouses. I probably will state an unpopular opinion when I say that the group of modern courthouses is probably my favorite of all the buildings we saw.

Illinois Courthouse Adventure, Pt 10 Modern Generic

Well, we've arrived at last at the final (and largest) stylistic group of courthouses: Modern Style. Because there are so many, I've broken this category into three completely arbitrary groupings (that I am knowingly labeling pretty haphazardly.)

• Generic, derivative, banal buildings. Perhaps these should be called Contemporary rather than Modern.
• Post-modern...modern, yet somehow trying to incorporate some more traditional aspects of familiar design but be modern
• Modernist--a term I'm using completely arbitrarily to indicate buildings that seem to be actually designed with a sense of impact and style.

I will end up with the "modernist" buildings as this set contains a large number of my favorite buildings we encountered.

So what are the characteristics of modern architecture? It's rather hard to be too specific, but mainly we're talking about post-1930 structures and in the set of Illinois courthouses is post 1950, which encompasses about 70 years. So unsurprisingly, there is a great deal of variation with this style.

But in general, modern architecture values function over ornamentation. So modern buildings have clean, precise lines and edges, concrete and glass are used frequently, any indication of hand-crafted features are minimized. Often there is a sense of asymmetry. Windows are often very large.  But the most common element is lack of ornamentation.

So this first set of modern buildings share the characteristic of basically making no impact. They may be functional but don't seem to have any aspect of creative visual interest. Very frequently, we decided they most looked like elementary schools or student centers on a small liberal arts college campus. Almost all are utterly forgettable.

Alexander County Courthouse

Cairo, Illinois

Visited: September 18, 2020

Erected: 1965

Architects: Berger Kelly United and Associates

Honestly, I quite like this building. the right end has a massive windowless block marked by concrete or stone panels; the left end has a long, low brick extension with a small copper strip to mark the otherwise flat roof. The lettering on the facade is nicely stylish. There is a long brick planter stretching along the entire length of the brick section that would be quite attractive if planted.

The only criticism is that it doesn't evoke a feeling of authority or permanence that one expects in a courthouse. It looks most like a really nice elementary school. The gym/cafeteria/auditorium would be in the concrete windowless block with classrooms stretching down on either side of a long corridor. I can actually smell what the school should smell like, as it would be nearly the same age as the elementary school that I attended. But if one blocks those images, the building is really attractive.

Cairo gets a really bad rap for being derelict. And indeed, it has certainly fallen on hard times and has shrunk dramatically in population, leaving a lot of empty houses. And the business district is pretty much non-existent. But unlike a lot of other cities we visited that aren't called out in the way Cairo is, they have torn down a lot of derelict nineteenth century commercial buildings, and so while there are plenty of empty lots, I don't think the core of city speaks of decay quite as much as some other places in the state where buildings are just left to fall down.

We did have a wonderfully entertaining tour of Magnolia Manor, a very fancy historic home that remains open for tours.

Alexander County was named for William Alexander, an early settler in the district.

Wabash County Courthouse

Mount Carmel, Illinois

Visited: August 14, 2020

Erected: 1960

Architects: John L Hagel of Evansville, Indiana

It's a challenge to actually date this building. The current exterior has not been modified since 1963. But it is built from and around the 1880 courthouse which was never actually torn down, but basically remodeled into this completely different building.

The building is composed of two blocks, one extending right to the sidewalk, the other set back a little. The bricks are a pleasant mottled blend of beige and amber. the windows along the street are arranged in tall narrow columns; the windows on the recessed section are wider and less tall.

Again, I rather like the building but it doesn't evoke any official presence. It could be a professional building housing dentists and eye doctors, or it could be the headquarters of the phone company.

Wabash County is very small. It was formed by splitting Edwards County in half to avoid an armed insurrection when the county seat was moved to Albion (in Edwards County). Mount Carmel seemed like an ok small town. It sits right on the banks of the Wabash River.

Wabash County is named after the Wabash River, which is an Anglicized version of the French name for the river Ouabache which was taken from the Miami word meaning "pure white" as the river bottom is pure white limestone, although these days it is entirely buried in mud.

Saline County Courthouse

Harrisburg, Illinois

Viewed: September 21, 2020

Erected: 1969

Architects: Clark Altay and Associates

The Saline County Courthouse is built of mainly large solid brick masses with recessed sections of glass for the entryways. There's a broad stone band running around the entire edge of the flat roof. There's not much more that can be said about the exterior.

The courthouse sits on the central square of Harrisburg, no doubt where an older building stood. But here is a building that looks most like a Physical Education building for. small college. As such, it doesn't relate at all to the traditional commercial buildings that face it on all four sides. Like the building in Mt Vernon, the stair must e a problem which accounts for the being painted bright yellow, which only further diminishes any positive effect of this building.

It's somewhat telling that the Web page for Harrisburg chose to show a picture of the courthouse that was torn down in the 1960s rather than show the current building.

Up through the 1950s, Harrisburg was one of the biggest cities in Illinois, with a thriving and large commercial district. The prosperity as primarily due to rail access and the large deposits of high-sulphur coal mined in the region. The rail was removed and the coal mines mainly closed and so Harrisburg has been in a long, slow period of decline.

Saline County is named for the Saline Creek. Salt mining along the Saline Creeks were a major idustry in the early days of settlement.

Whiteside County Courthouse

Morrison, Illinois

Visited: July 19, 2020

Erected: 1986

Architects: Philips Swager Associates

This building is even less interesting than the building in Harrisburg. It is completely built of uniform red brick with large stripes of reflective glass. The only attention to any break of the facade is a very slight bowing out of the window above the entrance. I assume this is either a feature of the courtroom, or else it is a lobby into which the courtrooms open.

In any case, this looks just like a small college student center. It could be rated slightly superior to the Saline County building in that this building sits in a slightly park-like setting away from the old commercial district, so it doesn't look so much out of place.

Morrison was the site of considerable industry in the first part of the 20th Century, with significant refrigerator and school furniture manufacturing. Unfortunately, most of this has closed or moved to other locations.

Whiteside County is named for Samuel Whiteside, a soldier in the Black Hawk War.

Williamson County Courthouse

Marion, Illinois

Viewed: September 19, 2020

Erected: 1970

Architects: Clark, Atley, and Associates

The Williamson County Courthouse is constructed of light colored brick with some limited glass and concrete trim. The front is essentially without windows, which unfortunately leaves a large air conditioning unit on the central front as the only thing providing any decoration. The backside faces a parking lot and has somewhat more glass as it is facing north. Apparently the lack of windows was an effort to control energy usage by not bearing the south facing heat generated through glass. Unfortunately, the result is a really uninviting structure. It could be a pretty fancy prison, but looks disappointing as a courthouse.

The former courthouse, from 1888, sat on the central square of Marion. It was torn down, but its central cupola was saved and erected on a tall clock tower on the original courthouse site. It seems everyone sort of shares my lackluster reaction to the new building, as the clock tower is picture quite frequently as the icon of Williamson County and never the new courthouse.

Williamson County was a center of coal mining and thus a place with many immigrants, and thus it has a frightful history of violence, both due to racial issues an and also to labor issues, that it was notorious nationwide for some time as "Bloody Williamson.

Williamson County was named for Williamson County in Tennessee through the influence of emigrants from that county.

DeWitt County Courthouse

Clinton, Illinois

Visited: January 5, 2021

Erected: 1986

Architects; FGM of Belleville

We're really starting to hit the bottom of the barrel here. The Courthouse is a sprawling one-story red brick building with a flat roof. It is very much of the era in which it was built. It looks like it ought to be a small community college building. It very well might be the least impactful building of any courthouse we saw.

The previous courthouse was very similar to the really great courthouse remaining in Pittsfield. I can only imagine there would have been plenty of public outcry against this replacement, unless, of course, the older building was completed wrecked from disuse.

A bit of trivia (or non-trivia depending on what you believe) pertaining to Clinton. Abraham Lincoln did speak here in 1858. Carl Sandburg claimed that in that speech, Abe originated to statement:

"You can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time."

However, the transcript of the speech doesn't include that statement. There are some who claim he made that statement in a speech in Bloomington, but the most significant belief is that he never actually said that at all.

DeWitt County is name for De Witt Clinton, governor of New York and the man responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal.

Sangamon County Courthouse

Springfield, Illinois

Visited: June 27, 2020

Erected: 1991

Architects: Fischer - Wimosky

Another simply wretched building. It's a seven-story red brick building with concrete trim. The top floor has large arched windows, and the entrance is marked by a semi-circular recessed arched rising all the way to the top o the building. It looks like it should be a hospital. Not helping the situation, it is built very close to 9th St., a major north-south thoroughfare with nothing to separate it from traffic be a narrow sidewalk. Springfield really deserves something better than this.

This might be the single most step down in impact of any courthouse transition we saw. Previous to this building, a lot of the Sangamon County offices were held in the beautiful Greek Revival old Statehouse a few blocks away. Because of that building's significance in the career of Abraham Lincoln, the state resumed control and after a major reconstruction opened it as a historic site. And the Sangamon County offices ended up here...

Springfield is packed with interesting sites related to the life of Abraham Lincoln and also the fantastically beautiful "new" Illinois State Capitol building, making the city a great destination. Sadly, aside from the Lincoln sites, though, Springfields seems a little run down as a capital city.

Sangamon County was named for the Sangamon River which runs through it.

Adams County Courthouse

Quincy, Illinois

Visited: October 9, 2020

Erected: 1950

Architects: Holibird, Root, & Burgee and Hafner & Hafner

I would like to say this photo doesn't do the Adams County Courthouse justice, but in fact it looks even worse in person. The building ai a three story block, the first story clad in concrete, the upper floors in red brick. It appears that when built, it share space with the Quincy City Hall, but that isn't the case any longer. The building is void of any decorative elements and there is not even a hint of landscaping to  ease the horror of this building. There are a number of windows blocked and bricked in, but I thin that was actually part of the original intent. Unfortunately it gives an overall impression that part of the building is boarded up and somewhat abandoned.

The situation is made only worse because of the attached and newer county jail building which is quite a bit more inviting. The former courthouse was a grand 1888 Victorian pile on the city square, but was destroyed by a severe tornado and the current building was its replacement.

The dire nature of this building is especially sad in that Quincy is the home of a significant collection of spectacular mid-century modern buildings, including the airport terminal and the soaring St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church (now closed). This courthouse is truly and embarrassment.

Adams County was named for John Quincy Adams.

Ok, that does it for the least interesting group of Modern-style courthouses. Next up is the group of what I call post-modern buildings...buildings that are new but trying in some way to be more decorative or reference some more traditional features. (Spoiler alert: they aren't much better than these.)