Thebes 1848 Courthouse

​Sitting high atop a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in Thebes, Illinois is the 1848 Courthouse. Standing 170 years, it is a testament to architect Henry Ernst Barkhausen, who was awarded the contract for designing and supervising the erection of the Thebes Courthouse in 1845. This landmark was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It served as Alexander County’s courthouse until the county seat was moved to Cairo in 1860. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 26, 1972. It now serves as the headquarters of the Thebes Historical Society. It was visited by Abraham Lincoln. Famed local General John A. Logan argued cases in its second-floor courtroom. Its jail held Dred Scott, the former slave whose lawsuit demanding freedom was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court in the run-up to the Civil War.

As a tax exempt nonprofit organization, your donations are tax deductible and are always used to fulfill our purpose. The purpose of the Thebes Historical Society is to preserve and maintain this historical courthouse and to maintain the photos, historical artifacts, books and documents held within. Our members are unpaid volunteers and open the courthouse for visitors and public tours, for which there is no admission fee.