First Court House - Galena, Illinois
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member iconions
N 42° 25.004 W 090° 25.617
15T E 711704 N 4699254
The First Court House (Dowling Building) is a two story limestone located at 211-213 N. Main Street in Galena, Illinois.
Waymark Code: WM12D2G
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 05/02/2020
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member ScroogieII
Views: 1

My Commentary:
I would have liked to have seen this building with the portholes instead of the double hung windows on the second floor. This is an early stone building - most are brick. This is the older section of downtown - all of the pre 1850 buildings are here.

Directly across Main Street stands the FIRST COURT HOUSE, a two- story gray stone building easily distinguished by six portholes on the second floor. The building, now a monument works, was built by Nicholas Dowling in 1838 for a store, and for a time was rented by the county. It held the first theater of the lead mining area, when the Jefferson-McKenzie players came from Chicago in open wagons to play in Galena until early in 1839; they then left for a month, and returned to await the opening of the river in April. After an extended tour the troupe split and the elder Jefferson died. Young Joe Jefferson attended the Campbell school next door to the courthouse.

- Galena Guide, 1937, pgs. 60-61



Current name: Fried Green Tomatoes

Style: Parapet-Front

Architectural Description: This is a 2-story commercial building in the Parapet-Front style built ca. 1870/c. 1920. The foundation is limestone. Exterior walls are limestone; ornamental concrete block. The building has a flat roof. Windows are original or historic; contemporary wood; vinyl 6/6 fixed; double- or single-hung; Chicago/Picture. Doors are original or historic wood glazed; paneled; recessed entry with transom; sidelights.

- ruskinarc.com Historic Architecture Survey Database



National Register Building Details
 
ADDRESS HIST. PROPERTY NAME C or N/C DATE STYLE, FORM, TYPE
211-213 N. Main Street Dowling Building C 1837 /c.1920s No Stylee

- National Register Application

Book: Galena, IL

Page Number(s) of Excerpt: 60-61

Year Originally Published: 1937

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