Marissa Academy
Why it's listed
Built in 1891 in what is now Marissa City Park, the Marissa Academy is a Queen Anne style school building with a stone foundation, weatherboard siding, a steep cross-gabled wood-shingle roof and a bell tower. Decorative touches include lathe-turned porch posts, filigree woodwork, segmental shingles in the gables and pedimented window caps. Inside, it was designed as a three-room school, with sliding wooden partitions that allowed the space to become one large room with a stage. The academy was founded in 1886 by Rev. Edward E. McKee and local church members to prepare students for college, with ties to Monmouth College. It closed in 1900, and later groups altered the building, enclosing the porch and converting the stage to a kitchen. A 1975-76 community restoration returned its original appearance. Now a museum, it is valued for its link to local secondary education and as one of the last academy buildings in Illinois.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is locally significant under Criterion A for its association with education in Marissa. It housed a private academy that prepared young men and women for college from 1891 until the academy closed in 1900. It is described as one of the last remaining academy buildings in Illinois.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 94001267, listed October 28, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 610 S. Main St., Marissa |
|---|---|
| County | St. Clair County |
| Listed | October 28, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94001267 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1891-1900 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored in 1975-76 and now used as a museum holding artifacts of the local historical and genealogical society; owned by the village. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.24081, -89.75445 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 94001267.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16894668
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.