Bureau County Courthouse

The first Bureau County courthouse was a wooden frame structure erected on the west division of the present Courthouse Square. This original building was also used as a meeting place.

In 1845, the security of county records was a concern. Replacement of the original building and erection of a brick courthouse on the west part of the courthouse square cost of $9000.00. In 1860, a wing was added to the east side of the courthouse at a cost of $18,688.00

December 1935, bonds were issued by Bureau County to assist in adding to and remodeling the existing courthouse. Bureau County Courthouse was built during the Depression as a Public Works Administration (PWA) project. The federal government provided money and materials, and the towns in the county provided the labor. To qualify for federal aid, the Bureau County courthouse had to be remodeled, not rebuilt. To get around the rules, a new Bureau County courthouse was built around the existing vault. Everything was torn down except the vault, which enable the county officials to claim they were not rebuilding, but remodeling at the cost of $225,000.00. The present Bureau County courthouse was completed in 1937, the 100th anniversary of Bureau County's existence.

Bureau County Courthouse contact information:

Bureau County Courthouse
700 S. Main Street
Princeton, IL 61356

Circuit Court Judge Marc P. Bernabei (R )Princeton

Associate Judge Cornelius J. Hollerich Princeton