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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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. Davidson later married Nathaniel Sears and their family became major donors to the academy.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The Harold D. Rider Family Media, Science and Fine Arts Center housed the
Kimball Street Theatre and part of the Liautaud-Lyons Upper School program, partially donated by the philanthropic James "Jimmy John"
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The school occupied a 18-acre (73,000 m) 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:
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from 1903 to 1927 and from 1932 to 1943. 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.
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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.
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498:. The academy's original building, Old Main, was constructed in 1855-6, and is on the United States'
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478:, United States. Elgin Academy was notable for many accomplishments, such as its Scholastic Bowl and
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On August 30, 2024, the campus was acquired by Burhan Academy, a new K-12 Islamic school.
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The academy offered an academic, college-preparatory curriculum. It was a member of the
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Old Main (the Elgin Area Historical Society and one classroom used daily by the academy)
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University and college buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places
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784:"'Smile a lot, it's a good day': Elgin Academy holds final official graduation"
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1983 Chicago Tribune basketball state power rankings as # 10 best in Illinois.
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Penney House (admissions, marketing, development and alumni relations offices)
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Baseball 3x ISL Champions (2017-2019) and 4x Regional Champions (2016-2019)
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School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois
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List of jails and prisons on the National Register of Historic Places
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Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering (WYSE) State Champions
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North Hall housed the Early Childhood and Lower School programs.
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National Register of Historic Places in Kane County, Illinois
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Edwards Hall housed the Liautaud-Lyons Upper School program.
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Northwestern University: a history, 1855-1905, Volume 4
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Scholastic Bowl State Champions (2022 Masonic State 1A)
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Historic district contributing properties in Illinois
864:"Islamic school proposed for shuttered Elgin Academy"
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Independent Schools Association of the Central States
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
643:, the Illinois Council of Private Schools, and the
48:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
995:List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state
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1488:Educational institutions disestablished in 2024
1387:National Register of Historic Places portal
490:The academy was established by charter of the
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1428:Educational institutions established in 1839
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565:Sears Hall housed the Middle School program.
665:Scholastic Bowl Nationals 11th Place (2022
619:National Association of Independent Schools
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935:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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271:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
108:Learn how and when to remove this message
689:Cross Country Sectional Qualifiers, 2017
680:IHSA Regional Basketball Champions, 1983
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1433:Private elementary schools in Illinois
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717:"National Register Information System"
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572:Other buildings on campus included:
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722:National Register of Historic Places
500:National Register of Historic Places
57:"Elgin Academy" Elgin, Illinois
46:adding citations to reliable sources
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862:Vitello, Barbara (August 4, 2024).
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695:2022 Tennis Doubles State Champions
672:Nationally Recognized Model UN Team
502:. It now serves as a museum of the
494:in 1839 to provide students with a
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1483:2024 disestablishments in Illinois
1448:Private middle schools in Illinois
1423:School buildings completed in 1969
1418:School buildings completed in 1856
1350:National Historic Preservation Act
698:2023 Tennis Singles State Champion
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1463:Schools in Kane County, Illinois
1438:Private high schools in Illinois
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834:Casas, Gloria (August 3, 2024).
641:Illinois High School Association
428:Quigley, James; Reeves, Edwin F.
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686:Soccer Regional Champions, 2016
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504:Elgin Area Historical Society
341:Show map of the United States
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412:; 169 years ago
252:United States historic place
192:; 185 years ago
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782:West, Rick (June 2, 2024).
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1334:American Legation, Morocco
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182:Taking Learning Personally
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1277:Northern Mariana Islands
899:Quiz Bowl Knowledge Page
763:History of Elgin Academy
433:Architectural style
402:0.3 acres (0.12 ha)
528:Northwestern University
1272:Minor Outlying Islands
1255:Lists by insular areas
969:Keeper of the Register
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280:U.S. Historic district
974:National Park Service
954:Contributing property
727:National Park Service
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524:University of Chicago
383:42.04139°N 88.27778°W
284:Contributing property
1329:District of Columbia
743:Welch, Anna (1905).
651:Notable Achievements
522:associated with the
466:was an independent,
316:Show map of Illinois
42:improve this article
772:accessed 2010-05-17
749:. pp. 309–335.
496:classical education
388:42.04139; -88.27778
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768:2010-12-30 at the
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815:. August 30, 2024
729:. March 13, 2009.
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31:This article
29:
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1201:South Dakota
1191:Rhode Island
1186:Pennsylvania
1166:North Dakota
873:. Retrieved
869:Daily Herald
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845:. Retrieved
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819:September 3,
817:. Retrieved
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791:. Retrieved
788:Daily Herald
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242:elginacademy
216:Preschool-12
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98:October 2021
95:
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40:Please help
35:verification
32:
15:
1322:Other areas
1282:Puerto Rico
1116:Mississippi
1031:Connecticut
605:The Academy
513:During the
386: /
362:Coordinates
232:Hilltoppers
187:Established
163:Information
1412:Categories
1231:Washington
1151:New Mexico
1146:New Jersey
1021:California
703:References
676:Athletic:
655:Academic:
613:Sears Hall
549:Facilities
374:88°16′40″W
68:newspapers
1241:Wisconsin
1206:Tennessee
1111:Minnesota
1086:Louisiana
634:Athletics
630:Program.
559:Liautaud.
425:Architect
371:42°2′29″N
229:Team name
1397:Category
1226:Virginia
1176:Oklahoma
1156:New York
1131:Nebraska
1121:Missouri
1106:Michigan
1096:Maryland
1081:Kentucky
1061:Illinois
1036:Delaware
1026:Colorado
1016:Arkansas
813:Facebook
766:Archived
627:AdvancEd
625:and the
596:Old Main
448:76000713
351:Location
152:Illinois
137:Location
1343:Related
1246:Wyoming
1221:Vermont
1126:Montana
1066:Indiana
1046:Georgia
1041:Florida
1011:Arizona
1001:Alabama
793:July 9,
486:History
482:teams.
415: (
237:Website
195: (
172:Private
82:scholar
1181:Oregon
1136:Nevada
1076:Kansas
1051:Hawaii
1006:Alaska
942:Topics
669:SSNCT)
224:Foxman
221:Mascot
213:Grades
205:Closed
84:
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1313:Palau
1211:Texas
1091:Maine
1056:Idaho
407:Built
179:Motto
148:Elgin
89:JSTOR
75:books
1267:Guam
1216:Utah
1171:Ohio
1071:Iowa
877:2024
849:2024
821:2024
795:2024
667:NAQT
480:ACES
417:1855
410:1855
399:Area
244:.org
208:2024
197:1839
190:1839
168:Type
61:news
474:in
443:No.
44:by
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