Just off the main square in the little town of Mount Vernon, Illinois sits a beautiful greek revival styled courthouse. This quaint little seat of justice was built around 1857 and is currently still a hotbed of activity as the current seat of the Fifth District Appellate Court for the State of Illinois. Mount Vernon, located in Jefferson County, is a town of about 15,000 (as of 2010 census) and was founded in 1817. Mount Vernon was in fact named after the other famous Mount Vernon, home of George Washington.
This historic courthouse has been used by a couple of famous Americans. Abraham Lincoln (statue of him stands outside) used this courthouse for many cases, including a tax case where his client was none other than the Illinois Central Railroad. In February 1888, Clara Barton (found of American Red Cross) set up an emergency hospital in the courthouse to assist with tornado victims.
A Southern Girl's View with Sandy Adams 
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