Eureka College Campus Historic District

Eureka College Campus Historic District occupies the southern edge of the town of Eureka, Illinois, between the residential area and the cemetery. Its core is the Crescent, five buildings arranged in a semi-circle along East College Street and built between 1858 and 1917. They show local versions of Italianate, Richardsonian Romanesque Revival and Collegiate Gothic styles. Burrus Dickinson Hall and the Chapel, both brick, were already listed separately; Burgess Memorial Hall and Pritchard Hall are among the later additions. Dormitories, former residences, an arboretum, an outdoor amphitheater and markers for the Old Spring and a Lincoln speaking site lie to the east, south and west. The college began as Walnut Grove Academy in 1848 and was chartered in 1855, and it is among the oldest schools of higher education in Illinois. The district is tied to Disciples of Christ education, women's suffrage work, and alumni including Ronald Reagan. The historic buildings retain a high degree of integrity.