herr2ck: February 2026

A God Amongst Men

July 2025.

The massive Richardsonian Romanesque Old DuPage County Courthouse looms over the shoddy apartment buildings that stand nearby it today. Indeed, its present site is extremely unusual, and the courthouse is used as housing today. Much grander than the courthouses of the neighboring counties, it has a great depth of detailing.

The Old DuPage County Courthouse is located southeast of downtown Wheaton, Illinois. It is surrounded by the Courthouse Square Apartments and bordered by Naperville Road to the east and Reber Street to the west.

History

Naperville was the county seat of DuPage County between 1839 and 1867, and Wheaton was designated the seat afterwards. I wasn’t able to find any images of Naperville’s courthouse or Wheaton’s first one (this is the second).

Historic view of the courthouse’s original appearance. (Courthouse History)

The Old DuPage County Courthouse was completed in 1896. It was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style by Chicago architect Mifflin E. Bell, who was best known for briefly serving as the Supervising Architect of the Treasury between 1883 and 1886.

Some notable events in the courthouse’s history include the murder trial of George Munding in 1924, who was defended by famous lawyer Clarence Darrow, and the first person in Illinois sentenced to death in the electric chair, which occurred in 1931.

A view of the additions to the courthouse in 1977. (NRHP listing)

A few additions were made to the courthouse during the mid-20th century, which were poorly designed and Modern in style, and they have since been demolished. The first was a large extension from the east side which was completed in 1952. A jail was added in 1957, which extended southward from the first addition. Finally, a floor was added to the first addition in 1961.

The principal facade in 1977. (NRHP listing)

At the time of the Old DuPage County Courthouse’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, the building was largely intact on the exterior, aside from modern vinyl windows and a guyed radio tower on top of the tower. The windows have either been repainted or replaced with a more historically accurate color scheme, and the radio tower has also been removed.

The Old DuPage County Courthouse served as the county courthouse until 1990, when a larger Postmodern courthouse was completed, though it was threatened with demolition previously.

The building’s Wikipedia article states that the tower was struck by lightning in 1988, destroyed, and subsequently rebuilt, as well as the courthouse’s purchase by National Louis University in 1993. Both of these statements are unsourced, and the tower appears to be original to me.

The Old DuPage County Courthouse was converted to luxury apartments in the late 2010s. Its site has been surrounded with apartment buildings and townhomes which lack a cohesive style or a response to the courthouse, which also takes away from its original monumental nature.

Photos

I wish it was sunnier when I visited so the details would be better visible, but oh well. Here is the beautiful west facade:

This is a more symmetrical interpretation of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, but flat wall planes are subverted by various towers, dormers, and vaults. Most prominent is the tall, detailed tower rising above the roofline. The facade is largely dark brick with ashlar lintels and courses, and the roof is clay tile.

A closer, oblique look without the trees in the way:

The entrance is vaulted with a large arch, very common for the style, and the detailed towers rise above it:

The wings are simpler in their design, largely square aside from the various courses, lintels, and the vaulted windows on the first floor:

I really cooked with the detail shots here. Here’s a nice close look at the vaulted windows and the subtly detailed carvings in the area:

On the second floor, the course terminates on the lintel with a little cluster of leaves:

Finally, the third floor has some nice corbels that support the cornice and roof:

A richly detailed dormer:

Arches are the best.

The portal is interestingly clad in buff ashlar, which contrasts with the darker masonry across the exterior. The roof is supported by two large Romanesque columns:

The wood framing and light fixture appear to be original.

Richardsonian Romanesque architecture was usually pretty spare in its ornamentation, at least for the time. More elaborate Victorian styles such as Queen Anne and Gothic Revival tended to have a lot more ornament slathered onto them. Most of its effects are achieved via form alone. Aside from the carved springers below the arch, the only applied decoration is these terra-cotta foliate panels:

The top of the dormer above probably has the most detail with its Ionic columns and richly carved datestone:

Probably one of the best and most unique ornamental details of a Richardsonian building I’ve seen so far.

Not the best framed picture of the tower in its entirety, but it’s the only one I have straight-on:

An angled view from closer up:

It’s definitely very solid in appearance, which is emphasized by the squat arches and columns, thick corner turrets, and the large expanse devoted to the clock:

This shot of the crown shows the different Ionic columns, corbelled roof, and the copper pinnacles:

Even closer look at the vaulting:

I like the touch of polychromy that the copper portions add.

I couldn’t get a shot of the north or south facade in its entirety due to its proximity to the nearby apartments, but I did get some of their entrance portals:

Here, the vaulted entrance springs from bundled, slender colonnettes. I like the capitals and the end of the archivolt:

More polychromy inside the vestibule with the buff stone:

The now-visible east facade has a slight projection, but it is ultimately less ornate and similar to the front:

Small balcony above the east entrance:

Sources:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/82/8927/28892782/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/78003107.pdf

https://courthouses.co/us-states/h-l/illinois/du-page-county/

https://www.courthousehistory.com/gallery/states/illinois/counties/dupage

https://www.antunovich.com/courthouse-square

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_DuPage_County_Courthouse

McCourthouse

July 2025.

The Old Kendall County Courthouse in Yorkville is an 1887 replica of an 1864 Italianate design that was destroyed by a fire. Its nearby jail is also a common example of older county jails. Both are relatively close to the Farnsworth House in Plano, the main reason I was in Kendall County, so I figured I’d stop in Yorkville afterwards. The building has been altered over the years and has a sort of McMansion-y look to it today.

The Old Kendall County Courthouse stands on a hill above downtown Yorkville and is bordered by the nearby Kendall County Office Building to the south.

History

Oswego’s 1848 Greek Revival courthouse. (Courthouse History)

Oswego was originally the home of Kendall County’s courthouse, but it was moved to Yorkville in the early 1860s. Yorkville’s original Kendall County Courthouse was designed by Chicago architect O. S. Kinnie, who had designed others across the Midwest. Its construction began in 1862 on the present site and was completed in 1864. Unfortunately, no photos exist of this original courthouse. It is known that artists Weidling and Brothers painted various murals on the walls and ceilings on the first and second floors, and the courthouse’s configuration was similar to the 1887 reconstruction in the basement and first floor. However, the second floor was almost entirely devoted to the courtroom, which had auditorium-style seating for the audience and “terrible acoustics.”

In 1872, the slate roof already needed to be replaced due to poor construction quality. It was replaced a third time in 1887, immediately prior to the fire, and the privy behind the courthouse had a new cistern installed to fix an overflow issue. Sounds like the architect did a great job!

Postcard of the 1887 courthouse with its original dome. (Courthouse History)

In the early morning of March 25, 1887, the courthouse caught fire. The county sheriff and his family, two prisoners in the county jail, and most of the county’s records were saved. Even though the fire burned slowly, Yorkville lacked a fire department, so the city had to telegraph Aurora railroad workers to send water cars there. By the time the cars arrived, it was too late, and all that was left standing of the original courthouse was the brick walls.

The courthouse was only insured for $12,000, $10,000 less than its construction cost. Kendall County citizens requested $30,000 from the Illinois state legislature to rebuild, but they were denied, leaving them responsible for the costs. The residents did not want to pay higher taxes and would rather have dissolved the county to rejoin LaSalle and Kane County. Ultimately, they changed their minds after some Aurora businessmen planned to form a new county with Aurora as the seat. (Aurora remains the largest city in Illinois that is not a county seat.)

The courthouse was rebuilt using what remained after the fire by architect Henry Hebard. Yorkville’s Union Block served as the courtroom and storage for county records in the interim. The walls were reinforced with iron and the second floor was redesigned to allow space for a library and the state attorney’s office. The original cupola atop the building was replaced by a smaller dome.

In 1893, the county jail was completed across the street, built by the Pauly Jail Building and Manufacturing Company. It replaced the earlier jail and sheriff’s residence in the courthouse’s basement. Afterwards, the basement was used by the Grand Army of the Republic.

The courthouse burned a second time on June 7, 1901, after wooden floor joists above the uninsulated boiler caught fire. Yorkville had established a fire department, and along with the fire-resistant iron framing, the fire was small and easily extinguished. The floor joists were replaced with iron and a new fireproof ceiling was installed. The dome on top of the courthouse was removed in 1920 due to leaks.

The Kendall County Courthouse after the removal of its cupola and its additions. (Courthouse History)

Kendall County’s population fluctuated heavily over the decades, even dwindling between 1880 to 1920. However, by the 1950s, population growth and the increased number of government programs overcrowded the courthouse. In 1958, two one-story additions were completed by Aurora architect Robert H. Shelp. The county offices moved to a new building in 1976, as did the jail in 1992. Finally, the old courthouse itself was closed in 1998, though it was also listed on the National Register of Historic Places that year.

A better look at the principal facade prior to restoration. (NRHP listing)

Luckily, the courthouse was restored between 2000 and 2001 by architect Michael Dixon, though this seemed to include alterations such as new windows. A new cupola was added, which is similar to the one removed in 1920. It seems to still be in use today by certain county offices.

Photos

Let’s start with the principal north facade:

Pretty simple Italianate design. The base is rusticated limestone, which continues up the sides in quoins. Two entrance doors are vaulted with a transom above and two sidelights. The windows are a simple segmental design on the first floor and a double-arched form on the second floor. The central window is very out of scale, but the opening seems to be original. The roof is supported by an entablature with modillions and dentils. I think the addition also does a good job respecting the setback of the two wings.

I like the entrance, and I think the doors are original:

Zoomed in on the roof and second floor:

I have a photo of the cupola by itself, but it’s poorly framed, underexposed, and not zoomed in far enough, so I’m leaving it out. You can at least get the gist from my other pictures--it’s pretty historically accurate except the plastic windows.

Second floor crossing:

I never noticed this building is a Latin cross in plan until now. Very church-like.

I really love this style of window. If there is a name for the style, I don’t know, but I just refer to them as “double-arched.”

A good look at the whole thing from the southwest:

The additions ruin the effect of this courthouse. It was originally skinny and vertical, and now it’s much wider and has an odd sort of stepping effect.

The south end is very bare and largely brick, probably because it was the secondary entrance:

Simple brick vaulted door and sidelights:

Arched second-floor windows and balcony (I believe it is restored and original to the building):

Here’s a nice angled view of the front:

We’ll quickly stop at the jail last. It has a simple Queen Anne look in front, though it is unusually symmetrical:

In back, the old cells are visible:

The Old Kendall County Courthouse is definitely humble and not something I would really seek out for blog/photography purposes (I didn’t even visit downtown Yorkville or Oswego because what little historic fabric is left is highly altered), but it wasn’t too far out of my way, and it’s a good example of a smaller county’s courthouse.

Sources:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/68/8932/28893268/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/98001354.pdf

https://www.courthousehistory.com/gallery/states/illinois/counties/kendall

https://courthouses.co/us-states/h-l/illinois/kendall-county/

Plano Trip

July 2025.

While I was in the Plano area visiting the Farnsworth House, I also stopped downtown to briefly explore. Plano is a small town, even by my standards, and the traditional “downtown” fabric takes up literally three blocks. I wanted to stop at the Albert Sears House as well, but unfortunately the owner was home and outside when I had arrived, and I didn’t want to invade his privacy.

This quick “dump post” will cover what photos of Plano I do have. The downtown area is not a historic district, and I only have information from the various Sanborn maps and my knowledge of architectural history to help me.

11-13 East Main Street

These two Italianates date to before 1885, as they appear on that year’s Sanborn map. Given the similar fenestration and aligned pattern of brick corbels below the cornice, I’d say they were built in tandem. The two are a good example of Plano’s architectural fabric downtown--standing historic buildings that are heavily altered.

11 E Main (at left) is in poorer shape in terms of historical appearance, but it has been recently modernized with new windows, a partial coat of black paint, and a new storefront. The storefront appears to incorporate original portions of the framing, though most of it is modern in style. Its cornice has been removed, but I’d wager it appeared identical to its eastern neighbor.

13 E Main is almost completely intact from the second floor up. Its stone hood molds and sills are in better repair, and the windows appear to be original or antique wooden sashes. The cornice is a detailed brick design. The first floor has been painted gray and has modern doors, windows, and a wooden-shingle awning.

This Google Maps snapshot from 2019 shows 11 E Main’s older windows, which are definitely original to the building, and a mid-century storefront:

Union Block

The Sanborn map labels this building as the “Union Block,” which seems to have once been expressed as four separate bays. In 1885, the two western sections were grocery stores, while the one after was a drugstore and jeweler. Its cornice appears to have been removed, but the stone hood molds and some brickwork remains across the facade. The building has since been combined into two modules today.

The eastern section is home to the Freemasons:

Masonic Hall

The Sanborn map labels the western bay of this structure as the “Masonic Hall,” so I’ll call the building that. It seems to be another simple, heavily altered Italianate. The second floor windows are all replacements, though the eastern half’s are more appropriate while the western portion has much of the opening filled in with wood panels. The first floor is mostly obscured by vertical wood planks painted blue, along with a wood shingle awning.

18-20 West Main Street

This similar Italianate has more of its cornice and probably appeared identical to the Masonic Hall. Its storefronts have been altered, probably around the 1950s or 1960s due to the brick bond on 18 W Main.

First State Bank

A very small-scale Beaux-Arts bank, this building was probably the crown jewel of Main Street besides the train station. Much of the facade, including the pilasters, is built of a rectangular ashlar, possibly concrete block. The entrance is surrounded by two Ionic columns, which support a simple entablature with a denticulated cornice above. Much of the parapet has been obscured by sheet metal, aside from the building’s datestone, indicating its date of construction as 1917.

For reference, this is the kind of typology that bankers wanted Louis Sullivan to design for their small-town banks (if a little more pared-down), but he instead churned out architectural masterpieces instead of these B- classical designs.

The bank seemed to have been founded in 1837, as indicated by this acroterion above the doorway:

Looking at the cornice and parapet above:

Plano Hotel

The Plano Hotel is the only building on this block listed on the National Register, aside from the train station. It was built in 1868 by John K. Smith in the Italianate style, having 25 hotel rooms. Plano was experiencing growth at the time due to its location next to the railroad, and the hotel is the only one existing from that period and one of the oldest buildings downtown today.

The hotel was converted into apartments in the 1940s, though it seems to be vacant today. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. It was recently repainted and had its lower porch replaced.

Here’s a look down Main Street from where we came:

Plano Station/CB&Q Railroad Depot

Plano’s stop on the Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy Railroad was built in 1913 in the Beaux-Arts style. It is largely brick, with a clay tile roof, stone pilaster capitals, and metal pediments.

I like the polychromy of the dark brick, light stone, and reddish windows and pediments.

This is not Plano’s town hall. The signage is a reference to the Man of Steel movie, which was filmed in Plano, and the station was used as Smallville’s town hall:

Pediment above:

I thought this clock outside was cool, too:

Cook Block

This Italianate has a bit more decor than the other buildings on the block. It retains its storefront framing and decoration, as well as a corbelled cornice above. The mural on the side is another relic of the Man of Steel filming occurring in Plano.

It seems like the central windows on each bay have been obscured for some reason: