One of the courthouse’s most prominent features is the row of Doric columns built into the entrance. The key characteristics that define this style is that they are tall, simplistic, and thick, and usually feature a plain and smooth base. They were used in both ancient Greek and Roman architecture, and are commonly found in temples (as well as other structures) such as the Parthenon and the Temple of Hephaestus. In addition, Doric columns were later reintroduced during the Greek Revival movement in the 18th and 19th centuries, typically being used in public buildings to convey a sense of permanence and authority, as is the intention for the Cook County Courthouse.

In respect to the courthouse, for each individual Doric column there is a corresponding relief carved into the limestone. Designed by Swedish-born sculptor Peter Toneman, these reliefs were intended as allegorical figures to stand for Law, Justice, Liberty, Truth, Might, Love, Wisdom, and Peace, respectively. In addition, their Latin translations are inscribed on different corners of the building, with ‘Veritas’ (meaning truth) and ‘Iustitia’ (meaning justice) displayed on the front of the courthouse.

Furthermore, the reliefs representing Law, Truth, and Might each feature fasces, a Roman symbol representing the authority of a magistrate’s power and jurisdiction. The actual image of the fasces features a bundle of wooden sticks with an axe sticking out from the top. Below is an illustration of the symbol for clarity, as well as all eight reliefs (in sequential order) for closer inspection.

Just above the eight figures there is row of linked bison heads decorating the building’s crown. These reliefs are known as bucrania (literally meaning 'oxen skulls' in Latin) which in many ancient Graeco-Roman structures signified sacrifice. But in being depicted here on the courthouse as bison heads, however, they are represented in this context as being truly American.

Sources:

Axtell, Harold Lucius. The Deification of Abstract Ideas in Roman Literature and Inscriptions. University of Chicago, 1907.

"Bucranium." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web.

Hammett, Ralph W., A.I.A. "The New Cook County Criminal Court and Jail Buildings.” The Western Architect 38.9 (1929): 156-158. Google. The Western Architect Publishing Company, 30 Oct. 2009. Web.

Lind, L.R. Roman Religion and Ethical Thought: Abstraction and Personification, in The Classical Journal Vol. 69.2 (Dec. 1973- Jan. 1974), pp. 108-119.

Loth, Calder. “Bucrania.” Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, ICAA, 13 June 2013.

"Neoclassical Architecture." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web.

“Temple of Hephaestus.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation. Web.

“The Parthenon.” Parthenon, ancient-greece.org. Web.

Thompson, Ernest Trice. Through the Ages: A History of the Christian Church. CLC, 1965. Print.