Vermilion County was formed in 1826, and during its early years County officials met in various homes. Work on the first permanent courthouse began in 1832. At that time, the construction was on a “pay-as-you-go” basis, and for this reason, it was not until 1836 that the project was totally completed.      The Northeast Corner of the Public Square was chosen as the site for the first courthouse, and the Vermilion County Courthouse has been a permanent fixture on this corner for the past 175 years. The first building was a two-story, square building made of brick and stone, with a bell tower. Only the courts occupied the building, and all other county offices were housed elsewhere. The total cost of the construction was $6,500.      In the early days, there was an April and an October court session each year. Trials and court proceedings were a major form of entertainment, and people came from throughout the County to witness legal battles between the renowned attorneys of the day. Some of these attorneys practiced law here on a permanent basis, but may others traveled from other locations within the Circuit during court sessions. A familiar figure in Danville between 1841 and 1859 was a gangling young country lawyer named Abraham Lincoln.      As the county grew rapidly, it became necessary to house all of the county office holders in one substantial building. A fire in 1872 partially destroyed the first courthouse, and the Board of Supervisors made plans for the construction of a second courthouse on the Northeast Corner of the Public Square. The cornerstone was laid in 1876, and the building was completed in 1877 at a cost of $104,550. The building was three stories high, and made of brick, stone and iron. The shape of the courthouse was unique, the reason being that the county officials wanted to make use of every available amount of space for county government.      By the turn of the century, it again became apparent that a larger courthouse was needed. The major problem was money! At that time, the County Board of Supervisors had the authority to “repair and remodel” the existing courthouse, but it could not construct a new building without voter approval. It was widely assumed that the voters would not approve a new courthouse. The existing one was only 34 years old.      In 1911, however, the County Board passed a resolution to “repair and remodel” the existing courthouse. First, the cornerstone was moved to the northeast corner. Next, the entire courthouse was demolished and rebuilt from the ground up. Official state records still show that only two courthouses have ever stood on the Northeast Corner of the Public Square. Our current building, which is our third courthouse, is officially described as a remodeled version of the 1876 courthouse. The construction cost was slightly in excess of $250,000. The “remodeled” courthouse was accepted as completed on December 11, 1913.      The Vermilion County Courthouse which is in use today stands at the Northeast corner of the town square, as did its two predecessor courthouses. The current courthouse was last extensively remodeled in 1988-1989 at a cost of five million dollars and was rededicated in a 1990 ceremony by then-Circuit Judge, now Supreme Court Justice, Rita B. Garman.

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