Metamora Courthouse

For many years, Abraham Lincoln also practiced law on the old Eighth Judicial Circuit in small towns like Metamora, Illinois. He often visited this courthouse, which was completed in 1845. This restored building and one in Mt. Pulaski are the only two original courthouses left from the Eighth Judicial Circuit. You'll find the site just off Route 116, about 14 miles northeast of Peoria.

The building was constructed of bricks burned in local kilns and hardwood from trees felled near the village. During Lincoln's day, lawyers such as Edward Baker, Stephen Logan and John Stuart handled cases here, heard by judges such as David Davis and Samuel Treat -- all associates of Lincoln.

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