herr2ck: Of The People, By The People, For The People

June 2025.

DeKalb County’s seat is the town of Sycamore, which is where its grand Beaux-Arts courthouse is located. It employs the Composite order, an uncommon choice, and there is a great filigree of decoration across the south facade. At this point chronologically the only other Beaux-Arts courthouse I had yet seen was Clark County’s in Ohio, and that was a simpler Doric composition.

The DeKalb County Courthouse is located at 133 West State Street in downtown Sycamore, Illinois. It is bordered by Exchange Street to the north, State Street to the south, Main Street and the Sycamore Public Library to the east, and Maple Street to the west.

History

DeKalb County was established in 1837 from land previously part of Kane County, and its first courthouse was a log structure built in 1839. It seemed to have a difficult time picking where its county seat was located, though.

Before the courthouse’s construction in Sycamore, other towns in the county tried to fight for the role of county seat. Dr. Henry Madden sought for its location to be Brush Point, a now-defunct township north of Sycamore. Rufus Colton, the clerk of the court, likewise suggested Coltonville. Colton resorted to dirtier tactics, as he set the first court session to be held in his Coltonville home, and eventually he held an election dictating where the county seat would be located, which he sneakily informed only the Coltonville citizens of. The Illinois General Assembly ultimately nullified the decision, and Sycamore maintained its position as county seat. In the end, Coltonville became a ghost town too.

The Grand Army of the Republic outside of DeKalb County’s second courthouse. (DeKalb County website)

The county quickly outgrew the old log structure, and in 1849 the commissioners appointed three citizens to find a contractor for a new design. Requirements were that it had to be 60 feet by 40 feet, built of brick, located in the middle of the town square, and that the cost not exceed $6,000. The selected contractor was William Phelps, who met the requirements. The old courthouse was sold to help finance the new construction. After its completion in 1850, the second courthouse was dedicated with a Grand Ball in February 1851. A two-story addition was completed in 1864, and a records vault was added in 1872.

The DeKalb County Courthouse during a World War I parade. (DeKalb County website)

Near the turn of the 20th century, most surrounding counties had replaced their older courthouses with newer buildings. In turn, Sycamore viewed its 1850 courthouse as old, unable to meet current governmental demands, and the county wasn’t in debt (so a new courthouse would be financially attainable). In 1901, the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution that approved the construction of a new courthouse, with a budget of $100,000.

However, the discussion of Sycamore’s role as county seat was once again being challenged. By this point, DeKalb had surpassed Sycamore in population, and two industrialists from the town (Jacob Haish and Isaac Ellwood) plus the other citizens each pledged $20,000 for the construction of a new courthouse in DeKalb. Sycamore residents fought back and raised $70,000. DeKalb tried to sue and raise a vote, but neither were successful. Despite Haish’s exorbitant final offer of $103,000 and the continued protests of DeKalb citizens, even during the building’s construction, the courthouse remained in Sycamore.

The DeKalb County Courthouse was designed by Herbert T. Hazelton of the firm Watson & Hazelton in the Beaux-Arts style. It was inspired by Lee County’s similar courthouse. The cornerstone was laid in October 1903, and the courthouse’s dedication was held in 1905. Its fanciful stone exterior is Bedford limestone, and interior finishes include Tennessee marble, stained glass, bronze, and brass. The Sycamore Prospectus claimed: “[t]here is not a building in the state that is better adapted, more substantially built, or furnished in better taste.”

Detail of interior staircase and stained-glass window. (DeKalb County website)

Some minor renovation work occurred over the years, but much of the building retained its historic character. In 1983, judge Rex Meilinger was the figurehead of a restoration project that updated the building while restoring the numerous intact features throughout. It was completed in 1987, though much of the unrelated county offices moved out of the courthouse afterwards. Apparently, other smaller renovations have since occurred.

A resolution was passed by the county board that approved a $15 million expansion of the courthouse in the late 2000s. In early 2009, a committee determined the scope and location of the work. Public and court opinion dictated that it would be an addition to the existing building, not a standalone annex, and that the addition would match the original stylistically while incorporating new technology. Designed by Elgin firm PSA Dewberry, it was completed in November 2012.

Photos

Here is the south facade of the courthouse, as viewed from State Street:

The trees created a nice frame but made it difficult to see the building in its entirety. Here it is a little closer and in better lighting:

Pretty typical Beaux-Arts design here--symmetrical, central axis, and classical ornamentation. The wings are visually inferior to the central pediment, as they are less decorated and shorter in height.

Detail of the entry:

Note the balconette above, supported by large corbels. The molding below the base is egg-and-dart.

The pediment has a richness of texture achieved through its heavy ornament:

The frieze is engraved, but the panel cuts through the molding of the architrave, which is a bit clumsy. The whole entablature is supported by Roman Composite columns, an uncommonly-seen union of the Corithian acanthus leaves and Ionic volutes. The cornice features more egg-and-dart molding and modillions that support the pediment above. The interior of the pediment includes two children on either side of an eagle, the symbol of the United States.

Detail of the capitals and vaulted transom above the third floor:

The transom is a typical classical fanlight, but it has stained glass instead. The arch is embellished with a large, corbel-like keystone.

I like these oxeye windows and the surrounding ornament:

There’s an almost wedding-cake effect achieved through the garlands of floral carvings that surround the window. Like its neighbor, it is stained-glass.

One floor below the fanlight is this pedimented window:

This one is broken and features a fancy shield in the middle surrounded by leaves and volutes.

A better look at the pediment and ornament above:

The masonry seems a bit sooty and in need of tuckpointing here, but it is in good condition otherwise. Usually on buildings of this age, the delicate carving is worn down and chipped over time.

The corners of the parapet are decorated with torches:

In the lawn immediately south of the entrance is this obelisk memorializing Civil War veterans:

A closer look at the inscription:

The sides are pretty simplistic, with minimal decoration.

The same central projection happens, but no grand pediment. The cornice carries over, and the roof balustrade remains, yet the rest feels rather bare. I think pediments above the windows could have helped, but that might have been too difficult with the budget.

The moment where the original building and addition join is this atrium here:

The newer side obviously uses different stone, but it’s remarkably similar in its design. It’s rare for addition projects to respond so well to the original. The north facade has simple pilasters instead of grand columns, and no pediment either: