Henderson County Courthouse (Illinois)

[1]: 936 ) In October 1841, the county commission first announced plans to build a courthouse, and as the lowest bidder, Phelps was chosen as the contractor for a price of $1,219.

[1]: 882  Working with architect Abner Hebbard,[1]: 927  brick mason James Ryason, and a pair of other contractors, he finished the building by the end of 1842.

[2] Its first floor was originally divided into office spaces for county officials, and a pair of staircases provided access to the large courtroom that occupied the entire second story.

[4] The county sought to make major changes to the building in 1946, but voters rejected the proposed spending, and a smaller-scale renovation project was conducted in 1965.

[2] Outside, the facade features a four-column portico; the columns' original brick exterior was covered with stucco in 1905.