Jubilee College State Park

Jubilee College State Park
IUCN category III (natural monument or feature)
Map of the U.S. state of Illinois showing the location of Jubilee College State Park
Location	Peoria County, Illinois, USA
Nearest city	Brimfield, Illinois
Coordinates	40°49′01″N 89°46′52″W / 40.81694°N 89.78111°W / 40.81694; -89.78111Coordinates: 40°49′01″N 89°46′52″W / 40.81694°N 89.78111°W / 40.81694; -89.78111
Area	3,200 acres (1,295 ha)
Established	1933
Governing body	Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Jubilee College State Park is an Illinois state park located 6 miles west of Peoria, Illinois. It contains Jubilee College State Historic Site, a frontier Illinois college active from 1840 to 1862.

Jubilee College, and the frontier community that supported it, was founded in 1839 by Episcopal bishop Philander Chase. Earlier in his career Chase had founded Kenyon College in Ohio.

This was one of the earliest educational enterprises in Illinois. After the Bishop's death, the college closed in 1862. In 1933 the college and grounds, then consisting of 93 acres (38 ha), were presented to the state of Illinois. The site has since been expanded to 3,200 acres (1,295 ha) and includes the original Chase residence and church.

The entire Jubilee College site is still owned by the U.S. state of Illinois. The 90-acre (36 ha) college grounds are operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IAPA), and the surrounding 3,100 acres (1,300 ha) of open space are operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The State of Illinois occasionally offers guided tours of the centerpiece of Jubilee College, the 1840s building that housed the school's Episcopal chapel, classrooms and dormitory facilities. Restored in the 1970s, one wing contains the recreated schoolmaster's office and library, which also features a video theater and museum exhibits about the college.

The Jubilee College site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

Though the state park is still open, the historic site was closed November 30, 2008. Jubilee College State Historic Site, as well as 17 other historic sites and state parks, was closed by former Governor Rod Blagojevich to help close Illinois' multimillion-dollar budget deficit. The park was reopened by Blagojevich's successor, Pat Quinn, but closed again on October 9, 2009.

However, the natural area surrounding the historic site, Jubilee College State Park contains multi-use trails maintained by volunteer user groups. The trails were originated by equestrians but are shared with hikers and mountain bikers. The state park also contains various camping areas, for which reservations are suggested.

External links

Wikinews has related news: Illinois budget cuts to close historic sites and parks

DNR official site
Jubilee College State Historic Site - Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
Mountain bike trails at Jubilee College State Park

Protected areas of Illinois

Federal

National Historic Sites	Chicago Portage Lincoln Home

National Monument	Pullman

National Forest	Shawnee

National Wildlife Refuges	Chautauqua Crab Orchard Cypress Creek Driftless Area Emiquon Mark Twain Meredosia Middle Mississippi River Port Louisa Two Rivers Upper Mississippi River

National Grassland	Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

National Trails	Lewis and Clark Mormon Pioneer Trail of Tears

National Natural Landmarks	List of National Natural Landmarks in Illinois

State

State Parks	Apple River Argyle Lake Beall Woods Beaver Dam Buffalo Rock Castle Rock Cave-in-Rock Chain O'Lakes Channahon Delabar Dixon Springs Donnelley/Depue Ferne Clyffe Fort Massac Fox Ridge Franklin Creek Gebhard Woods Giant City Hennepin Canal Parkway Horseshoe Lake Illini Illinois Beach James "Pate" Philip Jubilee College Kankakee River Lake Le-Aqua-Na Lake Murphysboro Lincoln Trail Lowden Matthiessen Mississippi Palisades Moraine Hills Morrison-Rockwood Nauvoo Pere Marquette Red Hills Rock Cut Rock Island Trail Shabbona Lake Siloam Springs South Shore Starved Rock Walnut Point Weinberg-King White Pines Forest Wildlife Prairie William G. Stratton Wolf Creek

State Historic Sites	List of Illinois State Historic Sites

State Forests	Big River Hidden Springs Lowden-Miller Sand Ridge Trail of Tears

State Recreation Areas	Clinton Lake Eagle Creek Eldon Hazlet Frank Holten Golconda Marina Johnson-Sauk Trail Kickapoo Moraine View North Point Marina Prophetstown Pyramid Ramsey Lake Randolph County Sangchris Lake Stephen A. Forbes Washington County Wayne Fitzgerrell Weldon Springs William W. Powers

State Fish & Wildlife Areas	Anderson Lake Baldwin Lake Banner Marsh Carlyle Lake Coffeen Lake Crawford County Des Plaines Edward R. Madigan Green River Hamilton County Heidecke Lake Horseshoe Lake (Alexander County) Iroquois County Kaskaskia River Kinkaid Lake Kishwaukee River LaSalle Lake Mackinaw River Marshall Mautino Mazonia/Braidwood Mermet Lake Middle Fork Mississippi River Newton Lake Jim Edgar Panther Creek Peabody River Ray Norbut Rend Lake Rice Lake Saline County Sam Dale Lake Sam Parr Sanganois Shelbyville Silver Springs Snakeden Hollow Spring Lake Ten Mile Creek Turkey Bluffs Union County Woodford

State Natural Areas	Bartlett Woods Cache River Fults Hill Prairie Goose Lake Prairie Harry "Babe" Woodyard Illinois Caverns Kidd Lake Piney Creek Ravine Prairie Ridge Revis Hill Prairie Sielbeck Forest Spitler Woods Volo Bog

State Trails	Mormon Trail Trail of Tears Tunnel Hill

Local

County Districts	Local forest and conservation districts

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

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