Elgin Academy (Elgin, Illinois)

Last updated

Elgin Academy
Elgin Academy Old Main.JPG
Location
Elgin Academy (Elgin, Illinois)
Information
Type Private, independent
MottoTaking Learning Personally
Established1839;185 years ago (1839)
Closed2024
GradesPreschool-12
MascotFoxman
Team nameHilltoppers
Website elginacademy.org
Elgin Academy
USA Illinois location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location350 Park St., Elgin, Illinois
Coordinates 42°2′29″N88°16′40″W / 42.04139°N 88.27778°W / 42.04139; -88.27778
Area0.3 acres (0.12 ha)
Built1855;169 years ago (1855)
ArchitectQuigley, James; Reeves, Edwin F.
Architectural styleGreek Revival
NRHP reference No. 76000713 [1]
Added to NRHPOctober 08, 1976

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.

Contents

History

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. [2] 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.

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. [2] 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. [3]

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. [3]

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. [4]

On August 30, 2024, the campus was acquired by Burhan Academy, a new K-12 Islamic school. [5] [6] [7]

Facilities

The school occupied a 18-acre (73,000 m2) campus 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Chicago in the Historic District of the city of Elgin. The school's classrooms were largely housed in four buildings:

Other buildings on campus included:

A sports field complex, approximately one half-mile away from the main campus, included tennis courts, grass fields, and 1/5-mile all-weather track.

Old Main

Old Main was the academy's original building. Rather than restore it in the early 1970s, the academy sold it to the city of Elgin for $1. Today, it is used as the museum for the Elgin Area Historical Society. One room served as a regular school classroom for the school.

The Academy

Sears Hall Elgin Academy Sears Blg.JPG
Sears Hall

The academy offered an academic, college-preparatory curriculum. It was a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and was accredited by both the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the AdvancEd commission. The school was a member of the Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools, the Illinois Coalition of Nonpublic Schools, the Cum Laude Society, the National Honor Society, and many other academic organizations. It was recognized by the Illinois Non-Public Schools Recognition Program.

Athletics

Elgin Academy's sports teams were nicknamed the Hilltoppers (the school being built on a hill), and their mascot was Foxman, after the nearby Fox River. Basketball, soccer, track, cross country, golf, tennis, volleyball, and baseball were offered. The school's sports affiliations included the Illinois High School Association, the Illinois Council of Private Schools, and the Independent School League.

Notable Achievements

Academic:

Athletic:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benet Academy</span> Private school in Lisle, Illinois, United States

Benet Academy is a co-educational, college-preparatory, Benedictine high school in Lisle, Illinois, United States, overseen by the Diocese of Joliet. Founded in 1886, the school was initially established in Chicago as the all-boys St. Procopius College and Academy by Benedictine monks, who also operated the St. Joseph Bohemian Orphanage. In 1898, the orphanage moved to Lisle, about 25 miles (40 km) west of Chicago, to be joined by St. Procopius three years later. In 1926, Benedictine nuns constructed the all-girls Sacred Heart Academy near the orphanage and school in Lisle. The orphanage closed in 1956 to make room for St. Procopius Academy, which separated from the college in 1969. Due to rising costs and waning enrollment, Sacred Heart merged with St. Procopius Academy in 1967 to form Benet Academy on the St. Procopius campus. Since then, numerous building projects have been undertaken to expand Benet's athletics, music, and science programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albuquerque Academy</span> Independent school in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque Academy, known locally as simply the Academy, is an independent, co-educational day school for grades 6-12 located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The school is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest and the New Mexico State Department of Education, and is also a member of the National Association of Independent Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loyola Academy</span> Jesuit college prep school in Illinois, U.S.

Loyola Academy is a private, co-educational college preparatory high school run by the USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus in Wilmette, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, and in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. It is a member of the Jesuit Secondary Education Association and the largest Jesuit high school in America, with over 2,000 students from more than 80 different zip codes throughout the Chicago area. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1909.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaminade College Preparatory School (Missouri)</span> Private, all-boys school in Creve Coeur, Missouri, United States

Chaminade College Preparatory School is an independent Catholic school administered by the Marianist Order for boys in grades six through twelve in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The school is located in Creve Coeur, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plainfield Central High School</span> Public high school in Plainfield, Illinois, United States

Plainfield High School - Central Campus, or PHS-CC, is a four-year public high school in Plainfield, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202, which also includes three other high schools: Plainfield South High School, Plainfield North High School and Plainfield East High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fenwick High School (Oak Park, Illinois)</span> Private secondary school in Oak Park, Illinois, United States

Fenwick High School is a private Catholic college preparatory school located in Oak Park, a town in Cook County, Illinois that is bordered by Chicago on the north, east, River Forest and Forest Park on the West, and Cicero and Berwyn on the south. Fenwick was founded in 1929 and is a ministry of the Province of St. Albert the Great. It is the only school directly operated and staffed by the Order of Preachers in the United States. It is named in honor of the first Bishop of Cincinnati, Dominican friar Edward Dominic Fenwick, O.P.. Fr. Richard Peddicord, O.P. has served as president of Fenwick High School since July 1, 2012. After a nearly year-long principal search, it was announced in April 2023 that Mark Rasar would be the next principal of Fenwick. On December 4, 2023, it was announced that Rasar would be leaving abruptly, after less than 6 months in the role. President Fr. Richard Peddicord, O.P. will serve as interim principal until a replacement is found.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elgin High School (Illinois)</span> Public secondary school in Elgin, Illinois, United States

Elgin High School, or EHS, is a public four-year high school located in Elgin, Illinois, an American city 40 mi. (63.5 km) northwest of Chicago. It is part of Elgin Area School District U46, which also includes Bartlett High School, Larkin High School, South Elgin High School, and Streamwood High School.

The Independent School League (ISL) is an athletic conference comprising 9 private secondary schools in the Chicago metro area. All but one of the schools are also full members of the Illinois High School Association, the governing body for most high school athletics and competitive activities in the state. The schools are all relatively small, most belonging to the smaller classes of competition offered by the IHSA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Yarmouth Academy</span> Co-ed, prep school in Yarmouth, Maine, United States

North Yarmouth Academy is an independent, co-ed, college preparatory day school serving students from early childhood education to postgraduate. NYA was founded in 1814, in what was then North Yarmouth, Maine, prior to the 1849 secession that established Yarmouth, the town in which the school now stands. NYA has 394 enrolled students with an average class size of 14 students. NYA offers 16 interscholastic sports for boys and girls at the Varsity and Junior Varsity level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Bede Academy</span> Private, college-preparatory school in Peru, Illinois, United States

Saint Bede Academy is a private, four-year, Catholic college-preparatory high school located in Peru, Illinois. The campus buildings and monastery are situated on 800 acres of wooded land. The monastery is home to 12 Benedictine monks who have taken a vow of stability, meaning that they remain at Saint Bede Abbey for their lifetimes. The monks take an active role in the affairs and administration of the academy.

Vanguard College Preparatory School, founded in 1973, is a private, independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school located in Waco, Texas, United States, for students in grades 7-12. Enrollment, as of the 2022-2023 academic year is 268, with 41 on the teaching faculty.

St. Augustine Preparatory School is a private all-male Roman Catholic. college preparatory school located in the Richland section of Buena Vista Township, in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located on 118 acres (0.48 km2) of wooded property, it serves students in eighth through twelfth grade from across South Jersey under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1983 and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. St. Augustine was founded in 1959 by the Order of Saint Augustine as a minor seminary to help young men prepare for studies in the priesthood and religious life; the first class was a mixture of seminarians and day students. The school is a member of the Augustinian Secondary Education Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Catholic High School (Massachusetts)</span> Private, coeducational school in Lawrence, , Massachusetts, United States

Central Catholic High School is a college preparatory school with an academic campus in Lawrence, Massachusetts and an athletic campus in Lawrence, Massachusetts associated with the Marist Brothers of the Schools and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston and founded in 1935 by Brother Florentius.

Elgin Community College (ECC) is a public community college in Elgin, Illinois. It was founded in 1949 as part of Elgin Area School District U46. Community College District 509 was formed 17 years later in 1966, a year after Illinois legislators created the Illinois Community College System. Most of the District is in Kane County with portions in DeKalb, Cook, McHenry, and DuPage. The 360-square-mile (930 km2) District serves 300,000 people, 11,000 businesses, four public school districts, and 15 high schools.

The Schutz American School is an independent, coeducational day school which offers an educational program from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 for students of all nationalities. The school is located in Alexandria, Egypt. It is the oldest American school in Africa, founded in 1924. The school year comprises two semesters extending from late August through mid-June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wesleyan School</span> Private Christian school in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, United States

Wesleyan School is a private college-preparatory nondenominational Christian school located 20 miles north of Atlanta in the suburban city of Peachtree Corners, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1963 and has existed on its current grounds since 1996. The school includes grades K–12. The high school is a member of the Georgia High School Association and competes in the AAA classification in region 7. The school is named after John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, and all faculty are professed Christians from varying denominations. Students come from a variety of faith backgrounds.

Rich Township High School STEM Campus, formerly Rich Central High School, is a public four-year high school in the south suburbs of Chicago, located in Olympia Fields, Illinois. The Campus serves portions of Chicago Heights, Country Club Hills, Matteson, Olympia Fields, Park Forest, Richton Park, and Tinley Park. The school serves sections of elementary school districts 162, 161, 160, and 159. It is a part of Rich Township District 227, along with Rich Township Fine Arts Campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan Park High School</span> School in Chicago, Illinois, United States

Morgan Park High School is a 4-year public high school and middle school located in the Morgan Park neighborhood on the far south side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1916, Morgan Park is a part of the Chicago Public Schools district. Morgan Park is located at the intersection of 111th Street and Vincennes Avenue.

Wheaton Academy (WA) is a private, Christian, co-educational high school in West Chicago, Illinois, which was established as part of the Illinois Institute by a group of evangelical abolitionists in 1853. The Illinois Institute was reorganized into Wheaton College and Wheaton College Academy, a preparatory school, in 1860. Wheaton Academy established an independent campus in West Chicago in 1945.

St. Francis Episcopal School, formerly St. Francis Episcopal Day School, is a private Episcopal school located on two campuses in the City of Piney Point Village and the Memorial area of Houston, Texas, United States. In fall 2018, St. Francis opened a high school on the Couper Campus, and its inaugural freshman class graduated in 2022. The Piney Point Campus and affiliated parish, located at 335 Piney Point Rd., house the lower and middle schools. The Couper Campus is home to primary and upper school facilities, along with athletic fields used by the middle school. With over 900 students, St. Francis Episcopal School was once the largest K–8 Episcopal parish day school in the United States. In the 1998–1999 school year, St. Francis was named a National Blue Ribbon School.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 Welch, Anna (1905). Northwestern University: a history, 1855-1905, Volume 4. pp. 309–335.
  3. 1 2 History of Elgin Academy Archived 2010-12-30 at the Wayback Machine accessed 2010-05-17
  4. West, Rick (June 2, 2024). "'Smile a lot, it's a good day': Elgin Academy holds final official graduation". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  5. "Exciting News". Facebook. August 30, 2024. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  6. Casas, Gloria (August 3, 2024). "Elgin Academy sold to group planning to open an Islamic K-12 school, billed as the 'largest in North America'". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  7. Vitello, Barbara (August 4, 2024). "Islamic school proposed for shuttered Elgin Academy". Daily Herald . Retrieved September 16, 2024.