The Henry County Courthouse in Cambridge is celebrating its 130th year. It is located at the west end of town adjacent to College Square Park, where it stands three stories tall. It provides a magnificent view of the town from any window on any side of the building. The courthouse walls have become a shrine for local artists willing to donate their work so others can experience the trials and tribulations that make up the past and present of Henry County.
Construction on the courthouse began in March 29, 1876. Initially, the building was to cost $68,000, but a very rainy spring caused delays and costs soared to $77,000. In fact, a windmill and well were built on site to provide a continuous stream of water. The county board first expressed an interest in building in 1866, but decided to postpone starting the structure as it was too soon after the war to undertake such a big financial burden.
The architect hired to design the courthouse was Julian Hinckley from Indianapolis. The county board committee that was first appointed for the building included: James Blish, James Reherd, Thomas Mowers, John Morgan, and Nathaniel Gould. They hired Hiram Dickinson of Galva to oversee the daily work. The heating contractor was Haxtun Steam Heater of Kewanee, which is now Kewanee Boiler.
The foundation is unfinished stone that is three feet thick. Originally, Sagestone Sandstone was used, but it began to erode away and was replaced with Bedford Limestone in 1942. There are sixteen distinct fireplaces throughout the courthouse at an original cost of $45.00 each. Every fireplace is unique in color and finish. The woodwork used is oak with some trimmed in black walnut. All the offices at one time had a sink tucked away in some small corner of the room. Some have now been removed or replaced with something more modern.
Stone that was used were four by six feet and one foot thick. By May of 1879, the walls were up to the 2nd floor. A large drum in the cellar used horse power to lift the stones into place. Horse drawn carts were used to carry the stones into the cellar. Some construction was delayed while waiting for iron beams.
Help in laying the bricks came from Philadelphia. Two men were employed from Philadelphia because the bricks were of a type that local bricklayers were not experienced in laying. In October 1879, roof work began. In March 1880, Mr. Dirksen of Pekin was employed to adorn the ceiling of the main courtroom. He was an artist of some note in frescos and decorative painting. Some were disappointed that the ceiling was not a dome, but instead was crafted as a lowering of the ceiling in the middle of the room. Mr. Dirksen did the views of the four villages including Cambridge, Kewanee, Galva and Geneseo with accurate detail. In the renovation during the 1950’s, the painting was not touched. However, Mr. Dirksen had painted corn and flowers on the ceiling in each of the corners. These were not kept.
