Clay County Courthouse (Illinois)

	Clay County Courthouse
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	The north side of the courthouse
Location	300 Broadway St., Louisville, Illinois
Coordinates	38°46′24″N 88°29′55″W / 38.77333°N 88.49861°W
Built	1913
Architect	Joseph W. Royer
Architectural style	Classical Revival
NRHP reference No.	15000224
Added to NRHP	May 18, 2015

The Clay County Courthouse, located at 300 Broadway Street in

Classical Revival building. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places

in 2015.

History

Clay County was formed in 1824, and its county commissioners established its first county seat in

Illinois State Legislature ordered a meeting of the county commissioners in 1841 to discuss relocating the county seat, and the commissioners decided to move the seat to Louisville. After some legal difficulties, Louisville's first permanent courthouse opened in 1846. Clay County received its third courthouse in the 1870s, when a two-story Italianate building replaced the 1846 courthouse. Throughout the late 19th century, the citizens of Flora attempted to relocate the county seat to their city; however, Louisville won two relocation votes in 1861 and the early 1900s and kept the seat. The county planned to remodel its courthouse; however, it ultimately opted to build an entirely new building. This building, the current courthouse, was completed in 1913. Louisville's newspaper, the Southern Illinois Record, initially showed some editorial skepticism as to the need for a new building; by the time of its completion, though, it had rallied behind the new courthouse, which it described as one of the finest in Southern Illinois. The 1913 courthouse has housed the county's many government functions and kept its public records since its construction.^[2] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 18, 2015.^[1]

Architecture

Architect Joseph W. Royer of

Doric columns, fretwork floor tiles, Roman-style grilles, and architrave trim.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b "Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 5/18/15 Through 5/22/15". National Park Service. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
^ ^a ^b Jones, Tim (December 30, 2014). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Clay County Courthouse" (PDF). Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Retrieved June 6, 2015.^{[permanent dead link]}

[NPS-1] "Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 5/18/15 Through 5/22/15". National Park Service. Retrieved June 6, 2015.

[NRHP_nom-2] Jones, Tim (December 30, 2014). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Clay County Courthouse" (PDF). Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Retrieved June 6, 2015.^{[permanent dead link]}

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