National Register of Historic Places

Upper Alton Historic District

Alton, Madison County, Illinois
Listed
May 1, 1978
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
78001167

About this property

The Upper Alton Historic District is a historic district located in northeast Alton, Illinois, in what was once the separate town of Upper Alton. The district includes the campuses of Shurtleff College and the Western Military Academy as well as the surrounding residential areas. Upper Alton was platted in 1817, but it did not grow significantly until the 1830s, when Shurtleff College opened; the college dominated the town for decades, and most of the houses around it were built for the school or its professors. The college's buildings were mainly designed in the Classical Revival and Greek Revival style, while the houses were designed in the Classical Revival and Queen Anne styles. In 1879, the Western Military Academy opened in the John Bostwick House; while the house burned in 1903, the academy rebuilt immediately and continued operations. The academy's campus is mainly designed in the Tudor Revival style. Shurtleff College closed in 1957 and is now the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine; the Western Military Academy also closed in 1971. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 2, 1978.

Location

Alton, Madison County, Illinois
38.90539, -90.14233

Categories

EDUCATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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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Everything a full report reveals about Upper Alton Historic District

This page lists Upper Alton Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Yakel House and Union Brewery
Civil War
1.5 mi
Alton National Cemetery
Listed
1.6 mi
Middletown Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
1.8 mi
Middletown Historic District
Listed
1.8 mi
Haskell Playhouse
Industrial
1.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of the Sink Hole
1815Early Republic
3.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Upper Alton Historic District listed on the National Register?

Upper Alton Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 1, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Upper Alton Historic District?

Upper Alton Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Upper Alton Historic District?

The period of significance for Upper Alton Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Upper Alton Historic District?

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