Virtual Tour
There are five galleries on the first floor. Each is devoted to a particular facet of Effingham County history.
Gallery 1 contains uniforms, medals, documents and other artifacts, including home front items, associated the Second World War (WW II).
Gallery 2 contains several Civil War artifacts and including some Civil War era Hom- Front items. There are also materials related to World War II; especially noteworthy are models of WWII ships, one the USS Effingham, another the USS Loy. The latter was named after an Effingham County sailor for his defense of his ship during the Battle of Guadalcanal. Note also two frames dealing with two local soldiers who were named as "Representative soldiers;" one for all American soldiers serving in WWII, the other for all American soldiers who helped free prisoners from Nazi concentration camps.
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 predominate. Kepley was the country's first female law school graduate. Also in this Gallery, there are multiple binders with military information about Effingham County veterans from WW II. Similarly, there are binders describing the more than eighty public schools and private schools which once existed in Effingham County.
Gallery 4 features artifacts from the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam Era. Once again, there are binders containing the stories of person who served in the military during the time from the Korean Conflict until present day. Half of the room was is dedicated to women's history.
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. This Gallery tends to be everyone's favorite room, especially a place where former classmates, during class reunions, can remember favorite memories from past decades.
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.
© 2015 Effingham County Cultural Center and Museum Association, Inc.