Macon County Historical Society
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Picture
Macon  County Courthouse
(Taken from an  article in a 1976 Edition of the Macon Chronicle-Herald)
 At the head of  North Rollins Street, on the public square in Macon, stands the 'Dean' of the  town's public buildings, the century old courthouse. This courthouse was the  third for Macon County and it deserves this place of honor for long and
continued service to the people of the county.
In 1863 Major  Thomas Moody was elected to the Legislature and he secured the passage of a bill  by an act of Legislature - introduced by the Honorable Abner L. Gilstrap, a  representative of Macon County - which removed the county seat from Bloomington  to Macon. It took the bill only 48 hours to become law. The result was to be the fatal blow to the already declining community of Bloomington, and the old county  seat of the pioneers disappeared with time. To read the full story of how this  came about, please read about An Event That Changed Macon Forever in  our Memorable Events section.

The Circuit Court  Record last appeared at Bloomington on January 16, 1863 wherein it was stated  that "It is ordered that court adjourn until the fourth Monday of September  next." That next term of court adjourned in Macon's Allen
Academy on the corner of Jackson & Union, owned by Dr. Frank Allen. The  Honorable George H. Burchartt presided, W.T. Oilman was Circuit Clerk and W.H.  Holman was Sheriff. The large docket of civil and criminal cases included:
action for debts; notes and damages; real estate; partition suits; divorces;  suits for attorney fees; naturalization cases; and numerous condemnation suits  - necessary for construction of the early railroads. The 25 criminal cases  included: murder case prosecution; robbery; grand larceny; gambling; liquor  sales and other misdemeanors.

During the Civil  War, soldiers took possession of the Academy and court was held in the little  school house near the Towner Tobacco Factory, southwest of the City Park. It met  there until the first term of court in September 1865, when it adjourned in the  handsome new courthouse on Rollins Street.

 Uncle Burton  Edwards must have been in tune with these lines from Longfellow, "Build today,  then strong and sure with a firm and ample base; and ascending and secure shall  tomorrow find its place" when be began to fashion this grand old structure. The  'firm and ample base' was native rock hauled from Coal Hollow, south of the old  City Cemetery that is now Woodlawn. This elegant, two  story building, built in the distinctive style of the Civil War period, with its  high curved windows and scalloped trim, its fenestration and ornate cornice  design repeated above the recessed south door and accented in white against the  red native brick, blend together to fulfill the lines of the poet, for it is  indeed secure in the hearts of the people of Macon County. The building was  designed by Levi Aldrich. After the war Macon began to prosper, growing rapidly
 into a busy thriving community with public buildings equal to those in other  towns much older.

 On the first floor  were the county offices. The second floor had one of the most spacious and  commodious court rooms to be found at that time. It is said that no circuit  court room in the State of Missouri has finer acoustic properties than those
found in the Macon County Courthouse.

 In the early  1930's the security of this building was threatened by those who envisioned a  new modern building, which could have become a reality with ready government  funds. It was a close escape, but the courthouse's many friends saved it from  destruction so the $15,000 in Federal funds was instead allocated to redecorate,  lay new floors, install new seats and make other improvements to the existing  building. At this time the circular staircase on each side of the lobby was removed and replaced with a straight stairway that was built on the south side,  west of the front entrance. The court room was also refurbished and the  picturesque old cupola and shutters were removed.

At the time of the  1883 cyclone there was a wooden fence around the entire courtyard. It was not  there in 1902, according to photographs taken that year. The original  furnishings remaining were two round attorneys' tables, the Judge's bench and
the counter in the tax collector's office.

 In the summer of  1971 the exterior of the courthouse and annex had a facelift. The brick was  painted a deep red and the ornate trim was white again. In 1976 it was the wish  of the Macon County Historical Society to replace the cupola and the shutters,  so that it would be restored to its original distinctive beauty once  again.

 In 1974 the first  floor was completely redone. The walls were paneled, woodwork painted, ceilings  lowered, floors carpeted and air-conditioning installed. The Judge's bench was  restored to its original appearance.

 Despite the fact  that this charming, historic structure was the result of a Union General's  determination to destroy a rebel town, it still stands beautiful and strong to  this day - well into its second century - with a dignity that only age can
bring.

 The need for replacement of the county jail building and modernization of the courthouse building brought further innovation and change to the historic structures.  A unique building plan to conjoin the two county buildings into one complex was approved and brought to fruition by a project begun in 2012 to replace the old jail, then to develop a contemporary courthouse, while retaining many historical features from the courthouse’s original 1865 building. 

PictureArchitect's rendering of the courthouse complex
See how this modern facility came into being with photos and videos at  https://www.maconcountymo.com/courthouse-and-jail-project-photo-gallery.html ​

Copyright@ Macon County Historical Society