Courthouse History
- Williamson County Courthouse
- 200 W. Jefferson
- Marion, IL 62959
- Established:
- February 28, 1839 (Laws, 1839, p. 110)
- Origin of the name of the county:
- Named after Williamson County in Tennessee through the influence of emigrants from that county.
- Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in:
- 1699 French establish Cahokia
- 1703 French establish Kaskaskia
- 1763 France loses French and Indian War
- 1765 British troops take control
- 1765-1778 Britain rules Illinois
- 1776 American colonies declare independence
- 1778 Virginia troops capture Illinois
- 1778-1784 Illinois Co., Virginia
- 1787 Northwest Territory forms
- 1790 - 1795 Split between Knox and St. Clair Counties
- 1795 - 1801 Split between Knox and Randolph Counties
- 1801 Indiana Territory organizes
- 1801-1809 Randolph Co., Indiana Territory
- 1809 Illinois Territory organizes
- 1809 - 1812 Randolph County, Illinois Territory
- 1812 - 1816 Split between Randolph, Johnson, and Gallatin Counties
- 1816 - 1818 Split between Jackson and Gallatin Counties
- 1818 Illinois becomes a state
- 1818-1839 Franklin
- 1816-1818 Jackson
- 1812-1818 Gallatin
- 1812-1816 Johnson
- 1795-1816 Randolph
- 1790-1801 Knox, Northwest Territory
- County Seat
- 1839-Marion
- History of county governing board:
- 1839-1849 County Commissioners’ Court
- 1849-1873 County Court
- 1873-1907 Board of County Commissioners
- 1907-1933 County Board of Supervisors
- 1933-Present Board of County Commissioners
- Documented Record Losses
- May 30, 1875-Fire Some records lost or damaged.
- Township Government
- Adopted: November 5, 1907
- Discontinued: November 1, 1932
- Township Names (Late 19th Century Precinct Names):
- Row 8 South: Western, Greenville, Herrin, Lake Creek, and Northern
- Row 9 South: Eight Mile, Cartersville, Bainbridge, Marion, Denison, Crab Orchard, and Rock Creek
- Row 10 South: Grassy, Southern, Union, Creal Springs, and Saline
- Township Names (1907-1932):
- Blairsville
- Carterville
- Corinth
- Crab Orchard
- Creal Springs
- East Marion
- Grassy
- Herrin
- Lake Creek
- Southern
- Stonefort Name changed from Saline on January 4, 1908.
- West Marion
Building Comm.
- January 8, 1965
- By Resolution of the County Board; Voted to establish building comm.
- January 12, 1965
- Published Resolution
- March 22, 1965
- Resolution filed
- November 20, 1968
- Resolution to enter into lease agree with P13C on a 2-1 split vote: 1(R)-1(D)-1(DNO)
- 1984
- Bonds expans by lease
- February 1992
- Rufunded for ADA and improvements
- County Map
- Click on thumbnail to view a map of Williamson County and its congressional townships
Williamson Courthouse Utilizes Heat-of Light
The new Williamson County Courthouse at Marion is ultra-modern in every respect, particularly where its heating system is concerned.
Heat-of-light, an innovative system which utilizes heat emitted by lighting fixtures, is a special feature of this 36,000-square-foot building. Although the system already is in operation in several CIPS office buildings, the Williamson County Courthouse is the first government building in the CIPS service areas with a heat-of-light installation.
Dedication ceremonies for the courthouse were held Friday, Nov. 19, as part of a two-day public open house that weekend. More than 500 persons attended the dedication.
By using the heat-of-light concept, courthouse designer achieved a heating system that is both modern and economical to operate.
Heat gained from the lighting fixtures fulfills the building’s heating requirements about 60 percent of the time, with supplemental baseboard and duct heaters making up the difference on colder days. Because lighting fixtures continuously produce heat while operating, it is economically advantageous to capture and use this energy.
Heat-of-light systems operate by drawing air through specially designed lighting fixtures mounted in a suspended ceiling. As air passes through the fixtures, it is heated by the fluorescent lamps and ballasts.
Enclosed Area Acts As Duct
The enclosed area above the suspended ceiling acts as a large duct to return the warm air to a blower, which then forces the air through the supply ducts and back into the rooms. As the air circulates, it is drawn through the fixtures again and the cycle is repeated. When additional heat is required, the electric baseboard and duct units in the area involved are energized automatically via thermostatic control.
To provide air conditioning during the summer months, cooling coils are located in front of the blower. In addition, the warm air created by the lighting fixtures is exhausted to the outside during the air-conditioning season.
The lighting arrangement in the new courthouse is just as modern and efficient as the heating system. Fluorescent fixtures provide approximately 1509 footcandles of light in all areas of the building-about five times more illumination than in the old courthouse and significantly greater than the 100-footcandle level recommended for office lighting by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES).
Illumination At 159 Footcandles
At 150 footcandles, illumination is equivalent to that directed by a 200-watt light bulb on a surface 18 inches away. The courthouse fixtures, however, provide this illumination without harsh glare.
In addition to the heating and lighting systems, the courthouse’s major electrical load includes water heaters, 25- and 40-horsepower elevator motors, a 75-horsepower blower motor, 85 tons of air conditioning capacity and a humidifying system.
Construction Started in 1969
Construction on the three-level brick building was started in September, 1969, and completed this past fall, with Bearden Construction Co. of Marion serving as general contractor.
Because of the natural slope of the land site, the first two levels of the courthouse have direct entrances from the outside. The first floor may be entered from the parking area on the north side, while the second floor is at ground level on the south side.
In addition to a lobby, the lower level contains offices for county officials, including commissioners, clerk, treasurer, tax collector and tax supervisor.
The middle level is devoted to court-related activities. There are two jury courtrooms, two non-jury courtrooms and offices for judges, state’s attorney, coroner, bailiff, probation officer, court reporters and circuit clerk.