Beecher Hall - Jacksonville, IL - Pre-Victorian Historic Homes on Waymarking.com

County of Building: Morgan County.
Location of Building: W. College Ave., Beecher Hall, Illinois College campus, Jacksonville
UGRR Marker Placed by: The National Park Service & National Underground Railroad Network To Freedom
Date Marker Placed: December 12, 2005.
Medical Marker Placed by: Morgan-Scott County Medical Society
Date Medical Marker Placed: 1979

Text of Three Markers on Building:

In this building Illinois College established the first medical school in Illinois in 1841; opened to students November 1843; closed 1848.

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Illinois College
BEECHER HALL
Built 1829.
First College Building in Illinois.
Named for Edward Beecher
First President, 1839-1844.

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Illinois College
Beecher Hall 1829.
NATIONAL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD SITE
The National Park Service has evaluated this site as making a significant contribution to the understanding of the Underground Railroad in American history and it meets the requirements for inclusion in the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

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In 1856, the structure was given the name of the college's first president, Edward Beecher -- brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Today, after a major restoration in 1991, Beecher Hall continues to be the heart of Illinois College, as it has been for more than 160 years.

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Illinois College was prominent in the abolitionist movement. President Beecher was an outspoken opponent of slavery. A grand jury indicted a group of students for harboring runaway slaves and two campus houses are believed to have been part of the Underground Railroad.

Earliest Recorded Date of Construction: 01/01/1829 Additional Dates of Construction: 1829 Architectural Period/Style: Late Georgian Architect (if known): James Kerr Type of Building e.g. Country House, Stately Home, Manor: Late Georgian Interesting Historical Facts or Connections: "Tear down the place where ... Bryan learned to enrapture thousands?" This question posed by Ensley Moore -- an 1868 alumnus of Illinois College -- was part of an early 20th-century booklet compiled to raise funds for Beecher Hall's restoration. The "Bryan" in Moore's query is William Jennings Bryan, former secretary of state, three-time Democratic candidate for U.S. president and successful prosecutor of the 1925 Scopes trial -- the highly-publicized case regarding the teaching of evolution in Tennessee's state-supported schools. An 1881 graduate and valedictorian of Illinois College, Bryan is one of many prominent individuals associated with the historic institution, among them Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Webster and Frederick Douglass. In 1843, 150 years ago, Beecher Hall housed Illinois' first medical school. The building was also the permanent home of two literary societies -- Sigma Pi and Phi Alpha. In 1856, the structure was given the name of the college's first president, Edward Beecher -- brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Today, after a major restoration in 1991, Beecher Hall continues to be the heart of Illinois College, as it has been for more than 160 years. Main Material of Construction: brick Private/Public Access: public Admission Fee (if applicable): 0.00 (listed in local currency) Related Website: [Web Link] Rating: Landscape Designer (if known): Not listed Listed Building Status (if applicable): Not listed Opening Hours (if applicable): Not listed

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