DeKalb County | Kane County | Kendall County
Origin of DeKalb County
On March 4, 1837, DEKALB COUNTY was formed from Kane County. Its
boundaries have remained the same ever since. Johann DeKalb is the
county's namesake - a German baron who fought for the Colonies during
the Revolution and was mortally wounded. DeKalb County is 634.2 square
miles and had 77,932 people in 1990.
History of DeKalb County Courthouses
First Courthouse(1839-1850)
On the first Monday of June, 1839, the first session of the Court met at Sycamore in the new "building" which was somewhat overrated in its status, as the construction was very rough and somewhat incomplete. According to the wording on the writs and process of the court as prepared by Rufus Colton, the Clerk of the Court, the location of the term of the court was to have been held at Colton's house in Coltonville. However, when Court convened, the Sheriff immediately served a Court order directing that Sycamore had built a Courthouse and that the Court session should be held there. The entire assemblage of litigants, judge, clerks, and all others then proceeded overland to the new structure in Sycamore, where Court was duly held.
This would seem to end the matter as to where the court should be held. It was over a year later that another election was held and, by a margin of 70 votes, ended in Sycamore's favor.
Due to the increased population in DeKalb County, the first small courthouse was soon inadequate to meet the needs of the young County.
Finally, in 1849, the county commissioners appointed three citizens, E.P. Young, Kimball Dow, and J.C. Kellogg, to contract for the building of a new Courthouse. The three newly appointed agents were directed to have the new Courthouse placed in the center of the public square, to be of brick construction, 60 feet long and 40 feet wide, and at a cost not exceeding $6,000.00. A further stipulation was added that 25% of this amount be contributed by individual citizens. This was accomplished. In order to help meet the total cost, the agents for the building were also authorized to sell the old Courthouse and all town lots owned by the County, at public auction.
The two story brick building, with a large cupola-like clock tower became the second Courthouse in DeKalb County. It was completed in 1850. The original contract between the agents and the contractor, William Phelps, is still on file in county records. The building was duly inaugurated with a Grand Ball in February, 1851.
Present Courthouse (1905-Present)
By the late 1890's, there were many in DeKalb County who felt it was time for a change when it came to the Courthouse. Almost without exception, every surrounding county had replaced their earlier Courthouse buildings with new facilities during either the 1880's or '90's. At the turn of the 20th century, the DeKalb County Courthouse was 50 years old, and it had been 35 years since any improvements were made to the structure.
A resolution was passed unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in the fall of 1901, authorizing construction of a new Courthouse, with an appropriation of $100,000.00 for the job.
In 1906, the Sycamore Prospectus, the local newspaper, spoke proudly of the new Courthouse and its impact on the community. The building rose three stories, extending a distance of 128 by 100 feet. The exterior was done in Bedford buff stone, quarried in Indiana. The building quickly came to be referred to as a "temple of American architecture," in large measure because of the two story colonnade that towers above the main entrance, capped by a tall pediment. The effect and appearance of this part of the facade is intended to remind one of the front of an ancient Greek or Roman temple. The four fluted columns are topped by composite capitals, (blending elements of Ionic and Corinthian design) which support an entablature with the words "DE KALB COUNTY COURTHOUSE" carved in the stone. Within the space enclosed by the pediment is decorative sculpture related to the concepts of law and justice. Over the windows in the third floor courtroom are stained glass windows, the exterior details around them accentuating the Neo-Classical nature of the building.
In the ceiling of the third floor Courtroom is a beautiful stained glass skylight, with a 10-point star in the center. Courtroom scenes for the movie "Will," the story of Watergate conspirator G. Gordon Liddy, were filmed in this Courtroom in 1981.
Page Modified 20 Apr 2007