Historic Thebes courthouse: Monument to neglect

THEBES, Ill. -- The two-story sandstone courthouse sits atop a bluff, commanding a sweeping view of the Mississippi River. But the 157-year-old building seems anything but majestic these days.

An arched wooden door to the building remains padlocked. Scrub trees, weeds and brush surround the courthouse, partially obscuring the front of the building.

There are no tour guides. The only information about the closed-up place is carved on a wooden sign erected in the grass behind the building.

History was made here. Abraham Lincoln visited the courthouse when he was a frontier lawyer, although that fact isn't mentioned on the sign.

Slave Dred Scott, who sued for his freedom, reportedly was imprisoned in the courthouse dungeon. That bit of history is on the sign.

But today the shuttered, old courthouse seems little more than a monument to neglect. The building is a victim of, among other things, poor communication between the town and local historical society.

The village owns the building, but village officials can't get inside. "We don't even have the keys to get in," said Mayor Anthony Scott Bomar.

That's because the Thebes Historical Society has a long-term lease to maintain the courthouse. The historical group pays $1 a year to lease the courthouse.

At one time, historical society members regularly gave guided tours of the courthouse, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The society had 35 members in 1971 when its efforts to preserve the courthouse drew public attention.

Over the years, it has had as many as 60 members, society president Susan Tucker said.

But membership has dwindled. Today, the society has only four members. Many of the former members have died or can no longer participate because of health or because they've moved away. Village officials now want to take back control of the historic structure and open it back up for tours.

Bomar said historical society members haven't kept up the building or conducted tours as promised. "They are in violation of their lease," the mayor said.

Bomar believes the village will be able to take back the historic structure without a legal fight.

But Susan Tucker said her small group is reluctant to turn over complete control of the building to the city.

She said city officials haven't contacted her. "Nobody has ever talked to me about anything," said Tucker who lives outside of Thebes.

The best solution might be if village officials would join the historical society and help it grow, she said.

"We have put so much work into the courthouse, it is kind of hard to say, 'Here, take it.' You just can't do that," Tucker said.

Tucker and city officials say that communication has been poor between the two parties.

The historical society championed the restoration of the courthouse in the mid-1970s. At one time, the building housed a museum and a library. The courthouse, often a target of vandals, was renovated with the help of the historical society and a federal grant awarded through the Pulaski and Alexander counties soil and water conservation district. Chimneys were replaced and flooring and bricks were added to the below-ground level where previously there was a dirt floor. Courthouse windows were restored.

Village clerk Patty Osorio said the old courthouse could be a real attraction for the Southern Illinois town of 500 people.

She said the courthouse used to be open regularly for visitors. But it's been more than a decade since that was the case, she said.

Even her own children haven't toured it.

Schools regularly call, wanting to take field trips to the courthouse. Osorio said she has to turn them away, pointing out that the city doesn't manage it.

"That is just not right," she said.

"It's something that needs to be opened," she said, adding that it could help in marketing the small town. "That is the only thing that we really have," she said.

Tucker said the historical society members still give tours of the courthouse by appointment. But those requests are fewer and fewer.

Tucker said she last gave a tour of the building about six months ago.

Bomar said some renovations may be needed to the structure.

Bomar said village officials won't know what repairs, if any, are needed until they can get entry to the building.

Village officials said government grants might help pay for such work.

Tucker said the historical society has been unable to secure grant money to maintain the courthouse and open it up to regular tours.

Osorio and Bomar said the old courthouse might serve as a city hall. Osorio said that way it would be easier to open the building to tourists.

The village only has four employees including the city clerk.

Bomar said the city clerk's office at one time was housed in the courthouse.

But Tucker worries that putting a modern office into the building could destroy its historic character.

The mayor said Thebes, which is struggling financially, needs to take advantage of its history and its river view.

There's no better view of the river than from the long, second-story courthouse balcony. "It is an awesome view," the mayor said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123