Upper Alton Historic District
Why it's listed
Upper Alton Historic District covers about 52 acres on high ground northeast of downtown Alton, Illinois. It is built around the former Shurtleff College and Western Military Academy campuses and the streets next to them, including Seminary, College, Leverett and Evergreen. Of 66 structures, 31 were judged architecturally or historically significant. The oldest is Academic Hall, now Loomis Hall, built in 1832 in a simplified Greek Revival style. Shurtleff College descended from Rock Spring Seminary, founded in 1827 as the first institution of higher learning in Illinois, and moved to Upper Alton in the early 1830s. Its buildings run from 1832 to a 1940 administration building by William B. Ittner. The district also holds the homes of faculty and presidents, an 1835 iron fence from the Bostwick estate, and Western Military Academy buildings in Tudor Revival style. With large grounds and few through streets, the area has a park-like character and has kept the feel of a late 19th-century college town.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Styles | Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Classical Revival, Georgian Revival, Tudor Revival |
|---|---|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Acreage | 52 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Upper Alton Historic District (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.