About this property
Elgin Academy was an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory school in Elgin, Illinois, United States. Elgin Academy was notable for many accomplishments, such as its Scholastic Bowl and ACES teams. The academy was established by charter of the Illinois General Assembly in 1839 to provide students with a classical education. The academy's original building, Old Main, was constructed in 1855-6, and is on the United States' National Register of Historic Places. It now serves as a museum of the Elgin Area Historical Society. The original charter was granted by the Illinois legislature and signed in 1839, only four years after the founding of Elgin. The academy opened, and has continued, with a non-denominational and coeducational policy. In 1856 the first building, Old Main, was completed at a cost of $19,000 and opened for classes, but the first diploma was not awarded until 1872 when Laura Davidson, the granddaughter of James Gifford, Elgin's founder, earned the honor. Davidson later married Nathaniel Sears and their family became major donors to the academy. During the American Civil War seven commissioned officers, six non-commissioned officers, and 21 privates served from the academy. All together, 153 Civil War veterans, whose names are inscribed on the base of two authentic Union cannons, were associated with the academy. These include William Francis Lynch, who served as a colonel during the war and was later promoted to brigadier general. In 1874, 274 students were enrolled and high school degrees were offered in the areas of College Preparatory, Normal, English, Classical, Latin-Scientific, and Business. By 1900 the football team, basketball team, and a school newspaper were established. About this time the academy became briefly associated with the University of Chicago and then with Northwestern University from 1903 to 1927 and from 1932 to 1943. The Sears family helped build the academy's first gymnasium in 1918. A boarding program ran from 1920 to 1987, with girls allowed to board starting in 1941. The Sears family helped build the Sears Art Gallery in 1924 and Sears Hall in 1940. The new gymnasium was built in 1958, North Hall was built as a girls' dormitory in 1962, and Edwards Hall was built in 1969. Old Main was closed in 1972. Enrollment fell to 85 students in 1973, but rose to 425 in 2012. In 1984 the program was expanded to K-12, and preschool was added in 1997. The Harold D. Rider Family Media, Science, and Fine Arts Center opened in 2008. Enrollment fell back down to 200 in 2023, and on November 7, 2023, the school officially announced its planned closing. The school closed at the end of the 2023-2024 school year after graduating its final class of 19 seniors.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Elgin Academy listed on the National Register?
Elgin Academy was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 7, 1976.
What type of historic resource is Elgin Academy?
Elgin Academy is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Elgin Academy?
The period of significance for Elgin Academy is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Elgin Academy?
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