History of the Circuit Court

The first settlers arrived in the area before 1836, which was the year McHenry County was created.  In 1840 the first structure built as a courthouse was located in the city of McHenry on the Court Street side of Veteran’s Memorial Park. The original courthouse in McHenry currently serves as a bar and restaurant.  

On September 4, 1843, the citizens voted to move the courthouse to Centerville (later renamed Woodstock in February 1845).  The courthouse moved to a building inside the Woodstock Square on September 23, 1844. in 1846 the County built an additional building (across the street from 101 South Benton), which was later known as the “Rat Hole.”

In 1855, after efforts to move the courthouse back to McHenry, or to Algonquin, failed, county officials built on the west side of the Woodstock Square.  Woodstock citizens agreed to purchase that land and transfer ownership to the county in exchange for the City Square, which today is the Woodstock Square city park.

In 1856 the courthouse was built on the Woodstock Square. The original cost of the building was $47,000 and it is now listed in the National Historic Registry as a national landmark.   The original building served as the McHenry County Courthouse until 1972, but is now owned by the City of Woodstock and houses shops and restaurants.  

In 1955 the county purchased Central School from the Woodstock School District for $85,000.  It was located one block south of the courthouse at 121 West Calhoun Street and this became the Courthouse Annex to meet the need for additional office space, court facilities and a County Board room.  The building at 121 West Calhoun Street eventually became Woodstock City Hall.

In 1969 the McHenry County Board agreed to buy 21 acres north of Woodstock on Route 47 at Ware Road for $105,000.  Ground was broken on the project to build a new courthouse in 1971.  The cost of the project was $3,229,000 and it opened in 1972.  

In 1990 the County awarded contracts worth $39,025,000 to expand and remodel the Government Center, build a new correctional facility and purchase additional acreage on the north side of Ware Road for future expansion.  

The new building opened in 1992, with the new McHenry County Government Center and Courthouse being dedicated on October 15, 1992. 

September 19, 2019, the McHenry County Courthouse was renamed the Michael J. Sullivan Judicial Center in honor of Circuit Judge Michael Sullivan.  Judge Sullivan was elected Chief Judge when the 22nd Judicial Circuit was first created in December 2006 (splitting from Lake County and the 19th Judicial Circuit), a position he held until his retirement in December 2018.  He served as a judge for 42 years, serving on the Illinois Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission, ushering in an era of technological advancements to the Courts, and overseeing the creation of the 22nd Judicial Circuit Mental Health Court, Drug Court, and Domestic Violence Court.