Cunningham Township in Urbana in Champaign County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Tina Weedon Smith Memorial Hall
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 28, 2023
1. Tina Weedon Smith Memorial Hall Marker
Tina Weedon Smith
Memorial Hall
constructed in 1920
has been placed on the
National Register of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1920.
Location. 40° 6.347′ N, 88° 13.543′ W. Marker is in Urbana, Illinois, in Champaign County. It is in Cunningham Township. Marker is at the intersection of South Mathews Avenue and West Nevada Street, on the right when traveling south on South Mathews Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 805 S Mathews Ave, Urbana IL 61801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Astronomical Observatory (within shouting distance of this marker); Channing-Murray Foundation/Unitarian Church of Urbana (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Illini Supersweet Corn (about 400 feet away); Anthropology and Society (about 600 feet away); Morrow Plots (about 600 feet away); String Project (about 700 feet away); Public Broadcasting (about 800 feet away); Creation of Research Library (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Urbana.
Regarding Tina Weedon Smith Memorial Hall.
this page online
As an officer in the federal army in the Civil War, Captain Thomas J. Smith halted the company he was commanding on March 6, 1863 during a march in pouring rain outside a home in Woodbury, Tennessee. Smith's men entered the house devouring all the food they could find. After being informed by the owner, Mrs. Weedon, of the invasion, Smith ordered the men out when, for the first time, he laid eyes on Miss Tina Weedon. The following year, Captain Smith struggled through enemy lines to marry Miss Weedon, whereupon he reestablished himself in Champaign, Illinois with his new bride.
Mr. Smith practiced law and was an active member of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees from 1897-1903, where he became a vocal proponent of music education. Mrs. Smith was a light-hearted and high-spirited woman, with a particular fondness of music. On August 22, 1903 Tina Weedon Smith died.
In memory of his beloved wife, Captain Thomas J. Smith donated real estate holdings totaling $250,000 for the construction of a music building for the University of Illinois Department of Music. …
Also see . . .
1. Tina Weedon Smith Memorial Hall (PDF). National Register nomination for the building, which was listed in 1996. (National Archives) (Submitted on June 13, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 28, 2023
2. Tina Weedon Smith Memorial Hall Marker
2. Tina Weedon Smith Memorial Building / Smith Hall. Smith Hall has the distinction of being the first building on campus to be wholly funded by private donations. (Kaley Leetaru, UIHistories Project) (Submitted on June 13, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
3. Biography of Capt. Thomas Jefferson Smith. Excerpt from A Standard History of Champaign County Illinois by J.R. Stewart (1918). (Access Genealogy) (Submitted on June 13, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Unknown via University of Illinois Archives (Public Domain), circa 1864
3. Tina Weedon Smith (1848-1903)
Portrait of a young Tina Weedon, who would later marry Captain Thomas J. Smith and become the honoree of Smith Music Hall at the University of Illinois.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 13, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 9, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 64 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 9, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3. submitted on June 13, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
