In retrospect, I should have posted this "You are now in Carlinville" photo as the first picture in my Carlinville series rather than as the last. However, I'll return later this year with photos of Standard Addition (the largest single collection of Sears & Roebuck catalog homes in the United States), Blackburn College, historic photos of the city from my postcard archives, and more.
The gazebo shown above serves as the centerpiece of the historic town square. Made of cedar, the gazebo is located in the very spot where a two-story brick courthouse (predecessor to the 1870 "Million Dollar Courthouse located one block east of the square) once stood - and where Abraham Lincoln practiced law and wrote his longest legal brief on record.
Carlinville is the seat of Macoupin County in south central Illinois. At the 2020 census, the population of Carlinville was 5,710. Carlinville is named for Thomas Carlin, seventh governor of Illinois, who as a member of the state legislature was instrumental in creating Macoupin County.
Tags: Carlinville Seat Macoupin County Central Illinois IL Square Gazebo Carlinville Historic District National Register of Historic Places NRHP Reference # 76000721 Autumn Fall Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 5DM4
Thank you for all the prayers and good wishes for my recent surgery. I am on the road to recovery and today return to posting with a new series on my wife's hometown, Carlinville, Illinois. As I do with most of my series featuring county seats, we will begin this tour with the county courthouse.
The Macoupin County Courthouse was designed by the prolific architect Elijah E. Myers (1832-1909) whose work includes three state capitols (Michigan, Texas, and Colorado), along with courthouses and other public buildings in the United States and internationally. The McDonough County Courthouse, featured last fall in my series on Macomb, Illinois, was also designed by Myers.
After serving in the military during the Civil War, Myers settled briefly in Springfield, Illinois, and it was there that he obtained the Macoupin County courthouse commission. Myers must have put every ounce of his architectural knowledge into the Macoupin County design, whose grand size and elaborate ornamentation seems more suited to a state house than a rural courthouse. The Beaux-Arts building was under construction from 1867-70.
Beyond the beauty of this courthouse is an interesting backstory about how this building came to be known as the "Million Dollar Courthouse." The following description is borrowed from the Macoupin County website (macoupincountyil.gov/)
Macoupin County’s “Million Dollar Courthouse” received its nickname because when construction was halted in 1870 – that was halted, not completed – it cost $1.3 million. That would be $23.5 million dollars in today’s money. At the time, it was the biggest instance of overspending in Illinois history.
There were accusations by county residents regarding misappropriations of funds during the construction of the courthouse. One of the commissioners, Judge Loomis was accused of using stone from the courthouse to build a grand hotel, the Loomis House, on the square. Judge Loomis stated he purchased the stone but never produced a bill of sales. Another commissioner, County Clerk George Holliday, was seen leaving town by train in the middle of the night carrying a carpet bag. Public opinion was that the bag was filled with some of the money raised for construction of the courthouse. Holliday was never seen again and it is still a mystery as to where he went.
When the courthouse was opened in 1870, it was the largest courthouse in the country with the possible exception of one in New York City. The doors, staircases, windows sills and sashes are all made of cast iron, making the courthouse the first fireproof building in the country.
It took the citizens of Macoupin County 40 years to pay off the debt. Many lost their homes and farms because of the taxes. There was a two day jubilee to celebrate the burning of the last bond in 1910.
The “Million Dollar Courthouse” is one of few courthouses of its age that is not a museum, white elephant, or has been demolished. It is still a working courthouse which is open for business 5 days a week.
It stands as an awe inspiring example of what men did with their hands and simple tools a century and a half ago. Over the years, the “Million Dollar Courthouse” has become a showplace that attracts tourists, architects and artist from around the world.
The Macoupin County Courthouse is the focal point of the Carlinville Historic District, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. At the 2020 census, the population of Carlinville was 5,710.
Tags: Carlinville Seat Macoupin County Central Illinois IL Macoupin County Courthouse Million Dollar Courthouse Civic Public Architecture Architectural Style Beaux Arts Architect Elijah E. Myers Carlinville Historic District National Register of Historic Places NRHP Reference # 76000721 Autumn Fall Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 5DM4
A view of the south facade of the Macoupin County Courthouse in Carlinville, Illinois. Known as the "Million Dollar" courthouse, the building was designed by the prolific architect Elijah E. Myers (1832-1909) whose work includes three state capitols (Michigan, Texas, and Colorado), along with courthouses and other public buildings in the United States and internationally. The McDonough County Courthouse, featured last fall in my series on Macomb, Illinois, was also designed by Myers.
After serving in the military during the Civil War, Myers settled briefly in Springfield, Illinois, and it was there that he obtained the Macoupin County courthouse commission. Myers must have put every ounce of his architectural knowledge into the Macoupin County design, whose grand size and elaborate ornamentation seems more suited to a state house than a rural courthouse. The Beaux-Arts building was under construction from 1867-70.
Beyond the beauty of this courthouse is an interesting backstory about how this building came to be known as the "Million Dollar Courthouse." The following description is borrowed from the Macoupin County website (macoupincountyil.gov/)
Macoupin County’s “Million Dollar Courthouse” received its nickname because when construction was halted in 1870 – that was halted, not completed – it cost $1.3 million. That would be $23.5 million dollars in today’s money. At the time, it was the biggest instance of overspending in Illinois history.
There were accusations by county residents regarding misappropriations of funds during the construction of the courthouse. One of the commissioners, Judge Loomis was accused of using stone from the courthouse to build a grand hotel, the Loomis House, on the square. Judge Loomis stated he purchased the stone but never produced a bill of sales. Another commissioner, County Clerk George Holliday, was seen leaving town by train in the middle of the night carrying a carpet bag. Public opinion was that the bag was filled with some of the money raised for construction of the courthouse. Holliday was never seen again and it is still a mystery as to where he went.
When the courthouse was opened in 1870, it was the largest courthouse in the country with the possible exception of one in New York City. The doors, staircases, windows sills and sashes are all made of cast iron, making the courthouse the first fireproof building in the country.
It took the citizens of Macoupin County 40 years to pay off the debt. Many lost their homes and farms because of the taxes. There was a two day jubilee to celebrate the burning of the last bond in 1910.
The “Million Dollar Courthouse” is one of few courthouses of its age that is not a museum, white elephant, or has been demolished. It is still a working courthouse which is open for business 5 days a week.
It stands as an awe inspiring example of what men did with their hands and simple tools a century and a half ago. Over the years, the “Million Dollar Courthouse” has become a showplace that attracts tourists, architects and artist from around the world.
The Macoupin County Courthouse is the focal point of the Carlinville Historic District, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. At the 2020 census, the population of Carlinville was 5,710.
Tags: Carlinville Seat Macoupin County Central Illinois IL Macoupin County Courthouse Million Dollar Courthouse Civic Public Architecture Facade Architectural Style Beaux Arts Architect Elijah E. Myers Carlinville Historic District National Register of Historic Places NRHP Reference # 76000721 Autumn Fall Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 5DM4
Explore #49 on January 26, 2023.
The Macoupin County Courthouse was designed by the prolific architect Elijah E. Myers (1832-1909) whose work includes three state capitols (Michigan, Texas, and Colorado), along with courthouses and other public buildings in the United States and internationally. The McDonough County Courthouse, featured last fall in my series on Macomb, Illinois, was also designed by Myers.
After serving in the military during the Civil War, Myers settled briefly in Springfield, Illinois, and it was there that he obtained the Macoupin County courthouse commission. Myers must have put every ounce of his architectural knowledge into the Macoupin County design, whose grand size and elaborate ornamentation seems more suited to a state house than a rural courthouse. The Beaux-Arts building was under construction from 1867-70.
Beyond the beauty of this courthouse is an interesting backstory about how this building came to be known as the "Million Dollar Courthouse." The following description is borrowed from the Macoupin County website (macoupincountyil.gov/)
Macoupin County’s “Million Dollar Courthouse” received its nickname because when construction was halted in 1870 – that was halted, not completed – it cost $1.3 million. That would be $23.5 million dollars in today’s money. At the time, it was the biggest instance of overspending in Illinois history.
There were accusations by county residents regarding misappropriations of funds during the construction of the courthouse. One of the commissioners, Judge Loomis was accused of using stone from the courthouse to build a grand hotel, the Loomis House, on the square. Judge Loomis stated he purchased the stone but never produced a bill of sales. Another commissioner, County Clerk George Holliday, was seen leaving town by train in the middle of the night carrying a carpet bag. Public opinion was that the bag was filled with some of the money raised for construction of the courthouse. Holliday was never seen again and it is still a mystery as to where he went.
When the courthouse was opened in 1870, it was the largest courthouse in the country with the possible exception of one in New York City. The doors, staircases, windows sills and sashes are all made of cast iron, making the courthouse the first fireproof building in the country.
It took the citizens of Macoupin County 40 years to pay off the debt. Many lost their homes and farms because of the taxes. There was a two day jubilee to celebrate the burning of the last bond in 1910.
The “Million Dollar Courthouse” is one of few courthouses of its age that is not a museum, white elephant, or has been demolished. It is still a working courthouse which is open for business 5 days a week.
It stands as an awe inspiring example of what men did with their hands and simple tools a century and a half ago. Over the years, the “Million Dollar Courthouse” has become a showplace that attracts tourists, architects and artist from around the world.
The Macoupin County Courthouse is the focal point of the Carlinville Historic District, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. At the 2020 census, the population of Carlinville was 5,710. efault
Tags: Carlinville Seat Macoupin County Central Illinois IL Macoupin County Courthouse Million Dollar Courthouse Civic Public Architecture Architectural Style Beaux Arts Architect Elijah E. Myers Carlinville Historic District National Register of Historic Places NRHP Reference # 76000721 Autumn Fall Aerial Drone DJI Mini 4 Pro Explored In Explore Explore
A view of the east side (left) and south (right) sides of Carlinville's historic square. The buildings surrounding the square all lie within the Carlinville Historic District, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Stylistically, the district is ruled by simplified, vernacular interpretations of architectural styles popular after the mid-19th century. Styles popular in the twentieth century are not represented in any significant numbers. The Square is one of two sections of Historic Illinois Route 66 which is bricked paved.
Seen on the upper left is Macoupin County "Million Dollar Courthouse," and to the left of center is the haunted, four story Loomis House. Both the courthouse and Loomis House were featured earlier in this series.
Carlinville is the seat of Macoupin County in south central Illinois. At the 2020 census, the population of Carlinville was 5,710. Carlinville is named for Thomas Carlin, seventh governor of Illinois, who as a member of the state legislature was instrumental in creating Macoupin County.
Tags: Carlinville Seat Macoupin County Central Illinois IL Downtown East Side South Side Square Loomis House Macoupin County Courthouse Million Dollar Courthouse Macoupin County Jail Cannonball Jail Civic Public Architecture Architect Elijah E. Myers Carlinville Historic District National Register of Historic Places NRHP Reference # 76000721 Autumn Fall Aerial Drone DJI Mini 4 Pro