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DeKalb County Courthouse (Illinois)
Encyclopedia
The DeKalb County Courthouse is located in the county seat of DeKalb County, Illinois
, U.S.A.
, the city of Sycamore
. The Classical Revival structure sits on a square facing Illinois Route 64
as it passes through the city. The current courthouse was constructed in 1905 amid controversy over where the courthouse and thus, ultimately, the county seat would be located. The current building is the third structure to bear the name "DeKalb County Courthouse." DeKalb County's Courthouse still serves as the county's primary judicial center and is a contributing property
to the Sycamore Historic District. The district joined the National Register of Historic Places
in 1978. As the county's primary courthouse for over 100 years, the site has been host to many trials, including prominent murder cases.
The building is cast in the Classical Revival architectural style and contains elements common to that style. Stained glass, columns and a pediment are among the more noticeable features at a glance. The rear facade of the building is designed to resemble a temple and also features stained glass windows. A stone porte-cochere
covers the rear driveway. Inside the building's third floor courtroom is more stained glass, in the form of a skylight. During the early 1980s a made for television movie had scenes filmed in the DeKalb County Courthouse's courtroom.
route between the two cities (DeKalb
and Sycamore
), which ended at the DeKalb County Courthouse. The current courthouse, which sits on the same site as the 1850 building, was erected in 1905.
title. A now defunct town called Brush Point
was the choice of a Dr. Henry Madden and Rufus Colton would have preferred Coltonville
, where he made his home.
Colton, the Clerk of the Court and preparer of the writ
s and process of the court, had set the first session of county court to be held at his home, in Coltonville. In his attempt to make Coltonville the county seat, Colton decided to hold a new election for the status. Colton made sure that Coltonville would win the election by telling only the population of Coltonville about it. His political tactics were eventually cancelled by an act of the Illinois General Assembly
, after the DeKalb County court intervened. When court convened the sheriff
served a court order
declaring a courthouse be built in Sycamore. Afterward, Coltonville eventually suffered the same fate as Brush Point and disappeared from the map. These events seemingly settled the issue of where the courthouse and, in turn, the DeKalb County seat was going to be located.
and 60 by 40 feet (12.2 m) wide. The cost, as directed by the commissioners, was not to exceed $6,000. Twenty five percent of that cost was contributed by private citizens. Young and the other appointees were also authorized, by the county, to sell the old courthouse as well as any town lots owned by the county in order to help raise money for the project. Eventually, William Phelps was contracted for the construction of the two-story brick structure which was topped with a large cupola
clock tower
. It was completed in 1850 and the county inaugurated the courthouse with Grand Ball in 1851.
The third and current DeKalb County Courthouse was constructed in 1905 at an approximate cost of $137,000. The project reignited the debate over the county courthouse's location and, once again, the debate over which town would hold the coveted title of county seat. The county Board of Supervisors authorized the project in 1901 and appropriated $100,000 for the new building. The idea for a new courthouse originated as early as 1900, when the essential design elements of the Lee County courthouse were chosen as the model for the new DeKalb County Courthouse. Though the courthouse was modeled after the Lee County structure it does differ; the Lee County building, in Dixon, Illinois
, has a rooftop dome
and also is longer and wider than the DeKalb County building. By 1903, the appropriation had been upped to $140,000 and the battle over the county seat had begun.
This time, it was the city of DeKalb
that sought to wrest the title of county seat away from Sycamore. Two of DeKalb's most prominent citizens, Jacob Haish
and Isaac L. Ellwood
, each promised to donate $20,000 to help absorb some of the new building's cost; their donation hinged upon the courthouse being moved to and constructed in DeKalb. The city of Sycamore responded by raising $70,000 in donations from its citizens and legal wrangling continued, until 1904. Haish eventually pledged $103,000 for a DeKalb courthouse but it was decided that the county seat would stay in Sycamore and ground was broken, despite the continuing legal battle, on October 29, 1903. The building was completed on March 1, 1905 and the Crew Brothers Company was hired to demolish the 1850 DeKalb County Courthouse.
In recent history the third DeKalb County Courthouse has figured in films, as well as the Global War on Terrorism. Courtroom scenes for the 1982 made for television movie Will, the story of G. Gordon Liddy
(of Watergate infamy), were filmed in the courthouse's third floor courtroom. In 2006 the United States Department of Justice announced it had arrested Derrick Shareef
on terrorism
related charges. Among the crimes the government accused Shareef of plotting was a plan to assault the DeKalb County Courthouse in order to "smoke a judge."
. As such, it is the location of any trials and court proceedings in the county. The DeKalb County Circuit Court
falls under the Illinois 16th Judicial Circuit, along with the circuit courts in Kendall
and Kane Counties
. Through its 100 year history prominent criminal trials and other events have occurred at the courthouse.
One of the earliest notable cases in the DeKalb County Circuit Court was the murder
trial of Henry C. Atwood in 1866, in the second DeKalb Courthouse building. Atwood, 17 years old at the time, was charged with murdering his wife, Ada, then 15. The Chicago Tribune
called the events "a thrilling tragedy enacted in the little town of DeKalb, in the county of DeKalb." Prominent DeKalb resident Jacob Haish testified for the prosecution during Atwood's trial.
During the summer of 1966 the trial of Russell Charles Dewey was underway at the courthouse. Dewey was accused of murdering and burning the body of Susan Brady, who disappeared on December 20, 1965; he was arrested in for the crime in February 1966. Dewey was convicted of the crime on August 21, 1966.
On March 22, 1971 a group of Northern Illinois University
students were arrested while protesting the clear cutting of a forested area on the DeKalb, Illinois campus. About 150 students blockaded the roads leading to the forested site with debris; twelve were arrested and the subsequent proceedings at the DeKalb County Courthouse were covered by the Chicago Tribune. All charges were eventually dismissed in the case.
During the summer of 1990 an exiting judge
, Rex Meilinger, presented an unusual request to the DeKalb County Board. Meilinger announced, partway through his term, that he planned to retire and requested that his retirement dinner be held "at the courthouse" when asked. Meilinger assured the board that the move was legal and preparations began for a catered dinner for more than 200 guests at the DeKalb County Courthouse. Tables were set up in the lobbies on each floor of the building and the circuit clerk's first floor office was transformed into a bar. The third floor courtroom hosted an after-dinner roast
in honor of the exiting judge.
The building faces south, toward Illinois Route 64 and was designed by architect Herbert T. Hazelton, of the Chicago firm Watson & Hazelton. The 128 feet (39 m) by 100 feet (30.5 m) building stands three stories; its exterior covered in Bedford
Indiana
limestone
. The courthouse's setting, on the public square in downtown Sycamore, renders it an impressive structure from most approach angles. Heavily carved stone bracket
s support a lintel over the main doors on the building's front facades. The four column
s dominating the front extend two stories and blend Ionic
and Corinthian
elements as they ascend from the second floor to the cornice
level of the courthouse. Stone balustrades accent the small balcony
on the second floor and the windows on the same floor, in the east and west wings, have a row of six balustrades below their sills, which form a continuous stringcourse around the building.
Classical sculpture covers the pediment
above the front colonnade
, with the seal of the State of Illinois
dominating the relief. Stained glass windows can be found topping the third floor windows. The cornice on the roof consists of three rows of eight balustrades and stone blocks. A common decorative ornament in Greek Revival and Classical Revival architecture can be found in an anthemion at the peak of the pediment. The courthouse roof is enclosed in stonework and balustrades.
The north side of the DeKalb County Courthouse is not as ornately decorated as the south face but each has its own distinctive qualities. The courthouse drive, entering from Exchange Street, crosses below a stone porte-cochere
on the courthouse property. The back side of the building features four pilasters with composite capitals
which give the courthouse a temple
appearance.
. The modern front doors to the courthouse hide the original, beveled glass
front doors from view. Once inside the modern doors, the nonfunctional original doors can be seen, standing wide open, to be admired; each door weighs several hundred pounds. Past the doors, in the building's main lobby, is the large, marble
staircase to the second floor. The staircase, as well as the lobby's wainscoting, is done in gray Tennessee
marble. Most of the first floor is original to the building, including the hexagonal marble flooring, stained glass windows and two original, first floor courtrooms. The plasterwork along the walls and ceilings of the lobby is ornately decorated.
Ascending the staircase are bronze
railings with mahogany
banisters. The railings are decorated with the swastika
symbol which, whilst mostly associated with Nazi Germany, has been traced back as far as the 3rd millennium
B.C.E. in Asia. The stairway's newel
posts, on the landing between the second and third floors, are a pair of bronze ram
's heads, identical newel posts grace the bottom of the stairs as well. The second floor landing offers a view of the stained glass windows, all original, which were fully restored during the 1980s renovation. Elevator access is also located on the second floor landing, the elevator
was a 1950s addition to the courthouse. Originally, to access the third floor, the only option was one of two staircases. Both staircases rose from the second floor landing to the third floor, one staircase was located to either side of the stairwell leading to the landing. When the elevator was installed the staircase on the left-hand side of the landing was removed.
Inside the ornate building's third floor courtroom is a stained glass
skylight centered by a ten-pointed star. The room is adorned with six brass
lamps, and chandelier
s, which are clustered with glass globes. In its original state an old-fashioned, four-bladed ceiling fan
hung from the courtroom ceiling. The third floor courtroom has been called, "the building's single most distinctive interior space" by DeKalb County historian, Steve Bigolin. The furnishings in the courtroom, including the chandeliers, plasterwork, beveled glass doors and stained glass work are all original.
in 1978. Of the 209 structures contained within the district when it was originally nominated the courthouse is one of 40 possessing "special architectural and/or historical significance," which strongly contributes
to the character of the historic district
. The courthouse was one of twenty structures detailed on the 1978 nomination form and was noted as having "architectural significance."
DeKalb County, Illinois
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 105,160, which is an increase of 18.2% from 88,969 in 2000. Its county seat is Sycamore. DeKalb County is part of the Chicago metropolitan statistical area.-History:DeKalb County...
, U.S.A.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the city of Sycamore
Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...
. The Classical Revival structure sits on a square facing Illinois Route 64
Illinois Route 64
Illinois Route 64 is an east–west road in north-central Illinois. Its western terminus is at the Iowa state line, connecting with U.S. Route 52 and Iowa Highway 64 via the Savanna-Sabula Bridge at the Mississippi River west of Savanna...
as it passes through the city. The current courthouse was constructed in 1905 amid controversy over where the courthouse and thus, ultimately, the county seat would be located. The current building is the third structure to bear the name "DeKalb County Courthouse." DeKalb County's Courthouse still serves as the county's primary judicial center and is a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the Sycamore Historic District. The district joined the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1978. As the county's primary courthouse for over 100 years, the site has been host to many trials, including prominent murder cases.
The building is cast in the Classical Revival architectural style and contains elements common to that style. Stained glass, columns and a pediment are among the more noticeable features at a glance. The rear facade of the building is designed to resemble a temple and also features stained glass windows. A stone porte-cochere
Porte-cochere
A porte-cochère is the architectural term for a porch- or portico-like structure at a main or secondary entrance to a building through which a horse and carriage can pass in order for the occupants to alight under cover, protected from the weather.The porte-cochère was a feature of many late 18th...
covers the rear driveway. Inside the building's third floor courtroom is more stained glass, in the form of a skylight. During the early 1980s a made for television movie had scenes filmed in the DeKalb County Courthouse's courtroom.
History
Today's DeKalb County Courthouse is the third in a line of structures to carry that name. In 1839 a log structure was built and called the county courthouse; the log building stood across the street from the current courthouse. Ten years later, in 1850, the second DeKalb County Courthouse was erected. From December 13, 1902 until April 17, 1924, DeKalb-Sycamore Electric Traction Company operated a trolleyTram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
route between the two cities (DeKalb
DeKalb, Illinois
DeKalb is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 43,862 at the 2010 census, up from 39,018 at the 2000 census. The city is named after decorated German war hero Johann De Kalb, who died during the American Revolutionary War....
and Sycamore
Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...
), which ended at the DeKalb County Courthouse. The current courthouse, which sits on the same site as the 1850 building, was erected in 1905.
First courthouse
The DeKalb County Circuit Court came into existence in June 1839 when the first session of court met in Sycamore's first courthouse building, though the building was somewhat incomplete. At first, it seemed, that Sycamore might not be the location of the DeKalb County Courthouse; other towns were vying for the county seatCounty seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
title. A now defunct town called Brush Point
Brush Point, Illinois
Brush Point was a community that existed in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States, which is now extinct. In June 1839 it was under consideration as one of three towns, for county seat. It gained the support of Brush Point doctor Henry Madden. Ultimately, Brush Point lost out to Sycamore and...
was the choice of a Dr. Henry Madden and Rufus Colton would have preferred Coltonville
Coltonville, Illinois
Coltonville was a community in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States-History:In June 1839, DeKalb County was considering building a courthouse and, as such, placement of a county seat. Rufus Colton, Clerk of the Court in the county, was leading a push for Coltonville, where he lived...
, where he made his home.
Colton, the Clerk of the Court and preparer of the writ
Writ
In common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court...
s and process of the court, had set the first session of county court to be held at his home, in Coltonville. In his attempt to make Coltonville the county seat, Colton decided to hold a new election for the status. Colton made sure that Coltonville would win the election by telling only the population of Coltonville about it. His political tactics were eventually cancelled by an act of the Illinois General Assembly
Illinois General Assembly
The Illinois General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois and comprises the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Illinois has 59 legislative districts, with two...
, after the DeKalb County court intervened. When court convened the sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
served a court order
Court order
A court order is an official proclamation by a judge that defines the legal relationships between the parties to a hearing, a trial, an appeal or other court proceedings. Such ruling requires or authorizes the carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case...
declaring a courthouse be built in Sycamore. Afterward, Coltonville eventually suffered the same fate as Brush Point and disappeared from the map. These events seemingly settled the issue of where the courthouse and, in turn, the DeKalb County seat was going to be located.
Second courthouse
By 1849 growth in DeKalb County necessitated a new courthouse. That year the county commissioners appointed three citizens, Ellzey P. Young, Kimball Dow, and J.C. Kellogg, to contract for a new courthouse building. The courthouse building was to be constructed at the center of the public square; the location of the 1850 DeKalb County Courthouse. The county commissioners also stipulated the building be brickBrick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
and 60 by 40 feet (12.2 m) wide. The cost, as directed by the commissioners, was not to exceed $6,000. Twenty five percent of that cost was contributed by private citizens. Young and the other appointees were also authorized, by the county, to sell the old courthouse as well as any town lots owned by the county in order to help raise money for the project. Eventually, William Phelps was contracted for the construction of the two-story brick structure which was topped with a large cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
. It was completed in 1850 and the county inaugurated the courthouse with Grand Ball in 1851.
Third courthouse
Dixon, Illinois
Dixon is a city in Lee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,733 as of the 2010 census, down from 15,941 at the 2000 census. Named for its founder, John Dixon , it is the county seat of Lee County. Located on the Rock River, Dixon was the boyhood home of former U.S...
, has a rooftop dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
and also is longer and wider than the DeKalb County building. By 1903, the appropriation had been upped to $140,000 and the battle over the county seat had begun.
This time, it was the city of DeKalb
DeKalb, Illinois
DeKalb is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 43,862 at the 2010 census, up from 39,018 at the 2000 census. The city is named after decorated German war hero Johann De Kalb, who died during the American Revolutionary War....
that sought to wrest the title of county seat away from Sycamore. Two of DeKalb's most prominent citizens, Jacob Haish
Jacob Haish
Jacob Haish was one of the first inventors of barbed wire. His type of barbed wire was in direct competition with the other barbed wire manufacturers in DeKalb, Illinois...
and Isaac L. Ellwood
Isaac L. Ellwood
Isaac Leonard Ellwood was an American rancher, businessman and barbed wire entrepreneur.-Early life:...
, each promised to donate $20,000 to help absorb some of the new building's cost; their donation hinged upon the courthouse being moved to and constructed in DeKalb. The city of Sycamore responded by raising $70,000 in donations from its citizens and legal wrangling continued, until 1904. Haish eventually pledged $103,000 for a DeKalb courthouse but it was decided that the county seat would stay in Sycamore and ground was broken, despite the continuing legal battle, on October 29, 1903. The building was completed on March 1, 1905 and the Crew Brothers Company was hired to demolish the 1850 DeKalb County Courthouse.
In recent history the third DeKalb County Courthouse has figured in films, as well as the Global War on Terrorism. Courtroom scenes for the 1982 made for television movie Will, the story of G. Gordon Liddy
G. Gordon Liddy
George Gordon Liddy was the chief operative for the White House Plumbers unit that existed from July–September 1971, during Richard Nixon's presidency. Separately, along with E. Howard Hunt, Liddy organized and directed the Watergate burglaries of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in...
(of Watergate infamy), were filmed in the courthouse's third floor courtroom. In 2006 the United States Department of Justice announced it had arrested Derrick Shareef
Derrick Shareef
Derrick Shareef, also known as Talib Abu Salam Ibn Shareef, is an accused Islamic terrorist who is charged with trying to trade stereo speakers for handgrenades and a handgun as part of plan to terrorize shoppers at CherryVale Mall in Rockford, Illinois. Last known to reside in Genoa, Illinois,...
on terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
related charges. Among the crimes the government accused Shareef of plotting was a plan to assault the DeKalb County Courthouse in order to "smoke a judge."
Circuit court history
The DeKalb County Courthouse serves DeKalb County, Illinois as its main judiciary buildingCourthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
. As such, it is the location of any trials and court proceedings in the county. The DeKalb County Circuit Court
Circuit court
Circuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.-History:King Henry II instituted the custom of having judges ride around the countryside each year to hear appeals, rather than forcing everyone to bring their appeals to London...
falls under the Illinois 16th Judicial Circuit, along with the circuit courts in Kendall
Kendall County, Illinois
Kendall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois, about 40 miles southwest of Chicago. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 114,736, which is an increase of 110% from 54,544 in 2000. It was the fastest-growing county in the United States between the years 2000 and...
and Kane Counties
Kane County, Illinois
Kane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 515,269, which is an increase of 27.5% from 404,119 in 2000. Its county seat is Geneva, and its largest city is Aurora.- Geography :...
. Through its 100 year history prominent criminal trials and other events have occurred at the courthouse.
One of the earliest notable cases in the DeKalb County Circuit Court was the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
trial of Henry C. Atwood in 1866, in the second DeKalb Courthouse building. Atwood, 17 years old at the time, was charged with murdering his wife, Ada, then 15. The Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
called the events "a thrilling tragedy enacted in the little town of DeKalb, in the county of DeKalb." Prominent DeKalb resident Jacob Haish testified for the prosecution during Atwood's trial.
During the summer of 1966 the trial of Russell Charles Dewey was underway at the courthouse. Dewey was accused of murdering and burning the body of Susan Brady, who disappeared on December 20, 1965; he was arrested in for the crime in February 1966. Dewey was convicted of the crime on August 21, 1966.
On March 22, 1971 a group of Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P...
students were arrested while protesting the clear cutting of a forested area on the DeKalb, Illinois campus. About 150 students blockaded the roads leading to the forested site with debris; twelve were arrested and the subsequent proceedings at the DeKalb County Courthouse were covered by the Chicago Tribune. All charges were eventually dismissed in the case.
During the summer of 1990 an exiting judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
, Rex Meilinger, presented an unusual request to the DeKalb County Board. Meilinger announced, partway through his term, that he planned to retire and requested that his retirement dinner be held "at the courthouse" when asked. Meilinger assured the board that the move was legal and preparations began for a catered dinner for more than 200 guests at the DeKalb County Courthouse. Tables were set up in the lobbies on each floor of the building and the circuit clerk's first floor office was transformed into a bar. The third floor courtroom hosted an after-dinner roast
Roast (comedy)
A roast is an event in which an individual is subjected to a public presentation of comedic insults, praise, outlandish true and untrue stories, and heartwarming tributes, the implication being that the roastee is able to take the jokes in good humor and not as serious criticism or insult, and...
in honor of the exiting judge.
Exterior
Bedford, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,768 people, 6,054 households, and 3,644 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,157.1 people per square mile . There were 6,618 housing units at an average density of 556.2 per square mile...
Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. The courthouse's setting, on the public square in downtown Sycamore, renders it an impressive structure from most approach angles. Heavily carved stone bracket
Bracket
Brackets are tall punctuation marks used in matched pairs within text, to set apart or interject other text. In the United States, "bracket" usually refers specifically to the "square" or "box" type.-List of types:...
s support a lintel over the main doors on the building's front facades. The four column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s dominating the front extend two stories and blend Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
and Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
elements as they ascend from the second floor to the cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
level of the courthouse. Stone balustrades accent the small balcony
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
on the second floor and the windows on the same floor, in the east and west wings, have a row of six balustrades below their sills, which form a continuous stringcourse around the building.
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
above the front colonnade
Colonnade
In classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building....
, with the seal of the State of Illinois
Seal of Illinois
The Great Seal of the State of Illinois is the official emblem of the State, and signifies the official nature of a document produced by the State of Illinois.-History:...
dominating the relief. Stained glass windows can be found topping the third floor windows. The cornice on the roof consists of three rows of eight balustrades and stone blocks. A common decorative ornament in Greek Revival and Classical Revival architecture can be found in an anthemion at the peak of the pediment. The courthouse roof is enclosed in stonework and balustrades.
The north side of the DeKalb County Courthouse is not as ornately decorated as the south face but each has its own distinctive qualities. The courthouse drive, entering from Exchange Street, crosses below a stone porte-cochere
Porte-cochere
A porte-cochère is the architectural term for a porch- or portico-like structure at a main or secondary entrance to a building through which a horse and carriage can pass in order for the occupants to alight under cover, protected from the weather.The porte-cochère was a feature of many late 18th...
on the courthouse property. The back side of the building features four pilasters with composite capitals
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
which give the courthouse a temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
appearance.
Interior
From November 1984 to June 1987 the DeKalb County Courthouse underwent an interior restoration, which was completed in time for the sesquicentennial celebration for DeKalb County. The restoration, at an approximate cost of $100,000, was undertaken by Conrad Schmitt Studios of New Berlin, WisconsinNew Berlin, Wisconsin
New Berlin is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 38,220 at the 2000 census. New Berlin is the third largest community in Waukesha County after the cities of Waukesha and Brookfield....
. The modern front doors to the courthouse hide the original, beveled glass
Beveled glass
Beveled glass is usually made by taking thick glass and creating an angled surface cut around the entire periphery. Bevels act as prisms in the sunlight creating an interesting color diffraction which both highlights the glass work and provides a spectrum of colors which would ordinarily be absent...
front doors from view. Once inside the modern doors, the nonfunctional original doors can be seen, standing wide open, to be admired; each door weighs several hundred pounds. Past the doors, in the building's main lobby, is the large, marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
staircase to the second floor. The staircase, as well as the lobby's wainscoting, is done in gray Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
marble. Most of the first floor is original to the building, including the hexagonal marble flooring, stained glass windows and two original, first floor courtrooms. The plasterwork along the walls and ceilings of the lobby is ornately decorated.
Ascending the staircase are bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
railings with mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
banisters. The railings are decorated with the swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
symbol which, whilst mostly associated with Nazi Germany, has been traced back as far as the 3rd millennium
3rd millennium BC
The 3rd millennium BC spans the Early to Middle Bronze Age.It represents a period of time in which imperialism, or the desire to conquer, grew to prominence, in the city states of the Middle East, but also throughout Eurasia, with Indo-European expansion to Anatolia, Europe and Central Asia. The...
B.C.E. in Asia. The stairway's newel
Newel
A newel, also called a central pole, is an upright post that supports the handrail of a stair banister. In stairs having straight flights it is the principal post at the foot of the staircase, but it can also be used for the intermediate posts on landings and at the top of a staircase...
posts, on the landing between the second and third floors, are a pair of bronze ram
Domestic sheep
Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...
's heads, identical newel posts grace the bottom of the stairs as well. The second floor landing offers a view of the stained glass windows, all original, which were fully restored during the 1980s renovation. Elevator access is also located on the second floor landing, the elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
was a 1950s addition to the courthouse. Originally, to access the third floor, the only option was one of two staircases. Both staircases rose from the second floor landing to the third floor, one staircase was located to either side of the stairwell leading to the landing. When the elevator was installed the staircase on the left-hand side of the landing was removed.
Inside the ornate building's third floor courtroom is a stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
skylight centered by a ten-pointed star. The room is adorned with six brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
lamps, and chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
s, which are clustered with glass globes. In its original state an old-fashioned, four-bladed ceiling fan
Ceiling fan
A ceiling fan is a fan, usually electrically powered, suspended from the ceiling of a room, that uses hub-mounted rotating paddles to circulate air....
hung from the courtroom ceiling. The third floor courtroom has been called, "the building's single most distinctive interior space" by DeKalb County historian, Steve Bigolin. The furnishings in the courtroom, including the chandeliers, plasterwork, beveled glass doors and stained glass work are all original.
Significance
The courthouse was included in the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the Sycamore Historic DistrictSycamore Historic District
The Sycamore Historic District is a meandering area encompassing of the land in and around the downtown of the DeKalb County, Illinois, county seat, Sycamore. The area includes historic buildings and a number of historical and Victorian homes...
in 1978. Of the 209 structures contained within the district when it was originally nominated the courthouse is one of 40 possessing "special architectural and/or historical significance," which strongly contributes
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the character of the historic district
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
. The courthouse was one of twenty structures detailed on the 1978 nomination form and was noted as having "architectural significance."