Virtual Tour

There are five galleries on the first floor.  Each is devoted to a particular facet of Effingham County history.

Virtual Tour Selection One

Gallery 1 contains uniforms, medals, documents and other artifacts associated the Second World War (WW II).

Virtual Tour Selection One

Gallery 2 contains Civil War artifacts and Home Front items, primarily from World War II. In addition, there are multiple binders with military information about Effingham County veterans from the Civil War and WW II.

Virtual Tour Selection One

Galley 3 was a formerly a courtroom.  The jury box and judge's podium are intact.  The wall surfaces are devoted to the history of the Effingham County legal profession.  History associated with Benson Wood and Ada Kepley prodominate.  Kepley was the country's first female law school graduate.

Virtual Tour Selection One

Gallery 4 features artifacts from the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam Era.  A portion of the room was recently dedicated to women's history.

Virtual Tour Selection One

Gallery 5 is the Train Room.  A working model train travels around a circuit, moving past scale models of iconic Effingham City and Effingham County structures.

Hours & Location

100 E. Jefferson Ave.,
Effingham, IL 62401

Daytime Hours:
(January-February)- By appointment only and some special evening hours, TBA
Phone: 217.240.2471 to leave a message

(March through December)
Tuesday and Saturday 10 a.m-2 p.m.

Evening Hours:
6:00-7:00 p.m. on night of lecture series, November-March
Other times by appointment: Call (217)240-2471 to leave a message

ECCCMA Meeting Schedule

Board Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the court-house first floor courtroom. For information contact Delaine Donaldson, President at: delainedonaldson@mchsi.com.

General Membership Meetings are held once a month of the second Tuesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at the court-house first floor courtroom.

MISSON STATEMENT
Our MISSION is to preserve our Historic Register structure, to collect artifacts from county history, and to use them to educate our local and external communities, while immersed in the broader context of American history.

VISION STATEMENT
Our VISION is that the 1872 Effingham County Courthouse remains as an architectural gem that instills a sense of community pride and provides a venue to
educate and showcase the history, art, and transportation of Effingham County.

Get Involved

On November 11, 2012, the Museum opened its doors to the public. Currently there are exhibits on the first floor and the second floor. On the second floor there is exhibit space as well as room for lectures and other types of public gatherings.