National Register of Historic Places

McLean County Courthouse and Square

Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois
Listed
February 6, 1973
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
73002160

About this property

The McLean County Courthouse and Square is located in downtown Bloomington, Illinois. The site is on the National Register of Historic Places and encompasses the old McLean County Courthouse and the courthouse-facing sides of three downtown blocks. All 4 floors of the building are now occupied by the McLean County Museum of History for exhibits, collections storage, and offices. The historic buildings at the other side of the square were destroyed by fire in the 1980s. The Square is bordered by four Bloomington streets: Main Street, Center Street, Jefferson Street and Washington Street. The site was home to three previous courthouses before the current one was completed in 1903. The first courthouse at the site was built in 1831, and the second in 1836. The third was built in 1868, but suffered major damage from fire on June 19, 1900.

Location

Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois
40.47783, -88.99428

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Miller-Davis Law Buildings
Industrial
0.2 mi
Bloomington Central Business District
Listed
0.2 mi
East Grove Street District-Bloomington
Early Republic
0.3 mi
Benjamin, Ruben M., House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Miller, George H., House
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was McLean County Courthouse and Square listed on the National Register?

McLean County Courthouse and Square was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 6, 1973.

What type of historic resource is McLean County Courthouse and Square?

McLean County Courthouse and Square is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for McLean County Courthouse and Square?

The period of significance for McLean County Courthouse and Square is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near McLean County Courthouse and Square?

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