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Dome Restoration
Old McLean County
Courthouse Bloomington
The towers and domes of
county courthouses are visual landmarks in town squares across the state.
One such structure is the old McLean County Courthouse, which was designed
in 1903 by Reeves & Baillie. This stately Neo-Classical building served
as the county courthouse until a new Government Center was completed in
1976. General county offices were housed in the building until 1990,
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when it was converted into
museum space for the McLean County Historical Society. In 2002, based on
the findings of an historic structures report, the county approved a $1.2
million renovation, including restoration of the 100-year-old dome.
Original copper ornament was
salvaged and reused, as were portions of the limestone base. The clock
and its mechanisms were brought into working order and, on Christmas Eve
2004, the tower bell rang out for the first time in nearly a half a
century.
Photo Credits: Ed Gerns
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