Virginia Township in Cass County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Cass County Courthouse
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 7, 2023
1. Cass County Courthouse Marker
This is the site of the first building erected as the seat of government of Cass County, Illinois, on land provided by Dr. H. H. Hall the founder of Virginia.
Circuit court was held here for the first time in May, 1839 and the last session, October 8, 1844.
Abraham Lincoln attended a meeting of the Cass County Clay Club held here February 22, 1844 when Henry Clay was a presidential candidate.
Following the removal of the county seat to Beardstown in 1845 the building was used for school until 1975.
Faith Baptist Church purchased the property May 13, 1981.
Erected 1988 by The Virginia City Council Cass County Historical Society The Illinois State Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Illinois State Historical Society series list. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1839.
Location. 39° 57.175′ N, 90° 12.981′ W. Marker is in Virginia, Illinois, in Cass County. It is in Virginia Township. It is on West Beardstown Street west of South Pitt Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 432 W Beardstown St, Virginia IL 62691, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Illinois River Valley. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers.
this page online
Also see . . . The County Seat Battles of Cass County, Illinois (PDF). Internet Archive website entry:
Residents of Beardstown and Virginia tussled for nearly three decades over which town would be the county seat. And "with the spirit that animated the Crusaders to recover the Holy Sepulchre, they dedicated their lives to the sacred cause." (J. N. Gridley, H. McHenry, J. B. Pearce, and G. B. Thompson, Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society via JSTOR, originally published October, 1914) (Submitted on July 31, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 7, 2023
2. Cass County Courthouse Marker
from Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society (Public Domain), circa 1914
3. Original Cass County Courthouse
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 7, 2023
4. Current Cass County Courthouse
It is in downtown Virginia, which regained the county seat and built this courthouse in 1872.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 31, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 361 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 31, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
