The Last Stop - Taylorville, Illinois

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The Last Stop - Taylorville, Illinois
‘The Last Stop’ statue Northwest corner of the Christian County Courthouse lawn.
This life-size bronze celebrates Taylorville’s unique story of Lincoln’s request for a “writ of quietus” to calm squealing village pigs gathered under the 1839 courthouse during a trial.

Relive history as you see where Abraham Lincoln practiced law, slept, swapped stories and hitched his horse on the square, once the site of the original 1839 Christian County Courthouse. Called “the last stop,” Taylorville was the last place Lincoln and fellow lawyers stopped as they rode the old Eighth Judicial Circuit home to Springfield (1839-1853).

Outdoor murals - Duke’s Office Supply, Southeast corner of square
Ten paintings portray a relaxed and humorous Lincoln as a family man, friend and lawyer prior to the presidency’s burdens. The artwork reflects years of research and artistry by Taylorville Junior High School art teacher Cindy Adams. A painting of Lincoln and pigs by local artist Gary Decourcy adorns a brick arch.

First Christian County Courthouse
Christian County Historical Museum
Near intersections of IL 29 South and IL 48

Visitors walk under the same rugged beams that sheltered Lincoln during trials, including his “writ of quietus” request to silence village pigs raising a ruckus under the floor. “The last stop” on the old Eighth Judicial Circuit, the 1839 white frame building originally occupied the center of the Taylorville Square. Authentic specifications aided restoration of this stellar example of rustic prairie courthouse architecture. Stephen Douglas also plied his trade here.

All of this is available for you to enjoy in the community of Taylorville.

Museum:
Hours: April 1-Nov. 30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Dec. 1-March 31, 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Call 217-824-6922.

Modest admission.

Then go on to Salute to a soldier
Oak Hill Cemetery
820 S. Cherokee St.
A bronze statute of a Union soldier stands heroically atop an elaborate granite base produced by Barton and Hilton Steam Granite Works, a once flourishing downtown business known for artistic and technical expertise. Dedicated in 1895, the Soldiers and Sailors monument stands sentry over thousands of graves dating to 1842.