For 25 years, Ewington, about three miles southwest of Effingham, served as the Effingham County seat and, as a county capital on the National Road, seemed primed for growth. In the 1850s, however, the railroad crossed the National Road at Effingham, and the meeting of road and rail gave Effingham an economic advantage. County residents recognized the potential for development, and in 1859 the county seat location was decided by ballot, with Effingham winning the vote. As Ewington declined, Effingham grew in political and economic importance, and streets leading to and from its courthouse developed into corridors of commerce, art, and industry. From 1871 to 2007, the courthouse stood at the center of Effingham County government.