Workmen began stripping the interior of the 109 year old Stephenson County Courthouse here Tuesday after a judge ruled that demolition of the three-story stone building should proceed. The Freeport Landmark Assn. which has been trying to save the building for several months, filed suit last week against the Stephenson county Public Building Commission, owner of the building, and the contractor hired to tear it down.

Circuit court judge John Lang of Rockford, Monday denied the injunction sought by the association which wanted to put the issue on a special election ballot. Workers immediately removed the cornerstone as a wrecking crane waited alongside the building which has been declared a landmark by the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

Paul Sprague director of the Illinois Historical Structure Survey, described the structure as "a rare example of French Second Empire architecture." The Philadelphia City Hall was built in the same style. But county authorities maintained the building was inadequate. A new courthouse is planned on the site.

Contributed by Jean Levan

In this 1900 to 1910 photo you see the corner of Stephenson St looking west and Van Buren St looking north. From left to right, you are looking at the old First National Bank building on the extreme left, the spire shown down Stephenson St. is that of the First Presbyterian Church, the tower on Court House Square is that of the Civil War Monument, behind the Court House you can see a multi story building with a statue on top, that is the German Insurance building and of course the most prominent is the old Stephenson County Court House which was razed in the 1970's. Many Stephenson County residents, who remember, are regretful to this day that the old Court House was replaced. Today much of what you see has been replaced, but some still remains. The First Presbyterian Church remains and is well cared for. The Civil Monument is there minus many of the statues which were originally placed on it. The German Insurance Building is now an office building minus the statue on top. Some of the lesser buildings are still there. From the private collection of John Kornfiend

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