Jersey County Courtroom Project
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The Jersey County Courtroom Project (2014): Public Access Images
In July of 2014, I asked Judge Pistorius, the circuit court judge of the seventh circuit of Illinois, for permission to photograph the courtroom and surrounding interior areas of the Jersey County Courthouse. I have always been impressed with this jewel that means so much to our community, and as far as I could tell, there had not been any professional images done of the courtroom in recent memory. Given the beauty of the subject, this seemed like a real shame. The judge wholeheartedly agreed, and I think these images confirmed our belief that it would be worth the trouble. Part of that is because the history of the courthouse itself is as rich as it's public face.
The Jersey County Courthouse, located on the Public Square in Jerseyville, is Jersey County, Illinois' county courthouse. Built in 1893–94, the courthouse was the third used by the county since its formation in 1839. Architect Henry Elliott designed the building in the Romanesque Revival style. The building's design features a tall central tower topped by an octagonal cupola, terminal towers at the front corners, and a raised front porch. The building's limestone exterior, which is intricately decorated on the front face, uses stone quarried at the nearby city of Grafton. The courtroom and upstairs decorated dome are the central features of this special community monument, which is why I chose to focus on those. It really is a beauty. In fact, the courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 8, 1986.
These high-resolution images are public property now. You may download them, print them or do whatever you would like with them. All that we ask is that you do not sell them. You will notice that there is a “BUY” button next to each image. This is completely for your convenience, if you would like to order prints of the images. The prints are done by a pro lab (Bay Photo) and are of the highest quality. I MAKE ABSOLUTELY NO MONEY FROM THESE SALES.
I want to thank Judge Pistorius and everyone at the courthouse who made this project possible. We are fortunate to have people like this WHO SERVE our community, and places like this IN our community. More importantly, we are so fortunate to have each other. So let us recognize these landmarks, appreciate each other, and commit to taking care of both.
Jersey County Courthouse: Entry to Courtroom (full interior dome) (2014)
20x36 vertical panorama, black border
Jersey County Courthouse: Courtroom from Jury Box (2014)
12x30 panorama image, full color
Jersey County Courthouse: Courtroom from Jury Box (2014)
12x30 panorama image, sepia tone, oil paint effect
Jersey County Courthouse: Levels One and Two (2014)
12x18
Jersey County Courthouse: View from Top Back (2014)
Jersey County Courthouse: Courtroom from Back Row (2014)
12x20
Jersey County Courthouse: Courtroom Chairs for the Public (2014)
12x18
Jersey County Courthouse: Entry to Courtroom (2014)
12x18
Jersey County Courthouse: Courtroom Chairs for the Public (2014)
12x20
Jersey County Courthouse: Courtroom from the Bench (2014)
12x18
Jersey County Courthouse Tower from the Outside (2014)
16x20