Illinois State University in Normal in McLean County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Old Main

1857–1958

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, June 21, 2025

1. Old Main Marker

Inscription. Here on the prairie stood Old Main, the first building erected by and for state supported higher education in Illinois. Dedicated to a hope, to an ideal, it was a place to attempt great things. Itself an act of faith, it justified that faith in its 101 years through the thousands of students who shared with the founders the dream which caused it to be built. Old Main was a response to a people's demand to raise up, from its own stock, teachers for its needs. Those it sent out to do that for which they had been educated were, like Old Main, a fulfillment of a hope. Dedicated to truth, humanity, and God, that for which it stood for so long a time will endure.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1857.

Location. 40° 30.592′ N, 88° 59.482′ W. Marker is in Normal, Illinois, in McLean County. It is in Illinois State University. It can be reached from College Avenue, on the right when traveling east. The marker is on the campus of Illinois State University, just north of the main quad. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Normal IL 61761, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Illinois.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Illinois State Normal University (here, next to this marker); Mennonite College of Nursing (within

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shouting distance of this marker); John F. Kennedy Memorial Clock (within shouting distance of this marker); Old Main Bell (within shouting distance of this marker); Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); William Saunders (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Capital Stone from the Third McLean County Courthouse (about 300 feet away); Jesse W. Fell (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Normal.

More about this marker. The plaque is at the bottom of a solid square memorial located on the north end of ISU's quad. Each of the four sides of this memorial features a relief with a view of the Old Main building from the corresponding angle. This plaque about Old Main is at the bottom of the north-facing side of the memorial; another plaque about the history of Illinois State Normal University (the school's name from 1858 until 1964), which is believed to date to 1918, is found on the south-facing side of the memorial.

While an ISU database of campus artwork lists the Normal Township Centennial Committee as the creator of this plaque, that may actually

Old Main marker and relief image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, June 21, 2025

2. Old Main marker and relief

only be the case for the other plaque on this memorial, which faces south, honors ISU as the first normal school in the Mississippi Valley, and says that it is related to the 1918 celebration of Illinois' centennial as a state. Either way, archival photos of the campus show that this memorial was likely erected very soon after Old Main was torn down in 1958.

Regarding Old Main. In 1857, this spot north of Bloomington was selected as the home of Illinois' first public university, the Illinois State Normal University, a teacher's college. Old Main was completed by 1861 and would serve as the anchor of the campus for the next century. Roughly four stories tall with a domed clocktower at the center, the building was a notable feature in the middle of what was then tree-less prairie in Central Illinois.

In its final years, the building deteriorated significantly, with the domed tower at the top in particular beginning to tilt. Despite attempts to support the tower, it was deemed unfixable in 1946, and the school removed the tower and its bell while also lopping off the building's top floor. (The tower bell was placed on the northern end of the quad, where it remains today.) The building lasted about 10 more years with none of its original ornamentation and its porches removed. Finally, in 1958, the building was razed, replaced by

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, June 21, 2025

3. Old Main Marker

The Old Main marker is at the bottom. At the top is a relief with a depiction of Old Main; each of the four sides of the memorial has a depiction of Old Main from that angle. The other side of the memorial also has a plaque honoring Illinois State Normal University as the first normal school in the Mississippi Valley.

this small memorial north of the campus quad.

Also see . . .
1. History of the Old Main Building. This article, from a blog about Old Main, offers an extensive history of the building that was once the center of the campus at Illinois State Normal University (now Illinois State).

Excerpt: "The Old Main building was the first structure built on the campus of Illinois State Normal University, and stood as the first public teacher training university in Illinois. According to Harper (1946:17), 'it stood on a slight plateau, two miles north of the McLean County Court House and one mile north of Sugar Creek. Its tower could be seen for miles. All passengers on the Alton or Illinois Central made a point of seeing this magnificent structure.'”

(Submitted on June 23, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. About Illinois State University. (Submitted on June 24, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Courtesy of Milner Library, Illinois State University, circa 1907

4. Old Main

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, June 21, 2025

5. Old Main Marker

The Old Main plaque is on the rear (not-visible) side of the memorial in this view from the south. The plaque at the base in this photo honors the university itself.

Old Main Bell image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, June 21, 2025

6. Old Main Bell

The Old Main Bell is located a short distance south of this Old Main memorial. It was placed here in 1946, when the school tore down Old Main's cupola and top floor due to deterioration. The rest of the building was torn down in 1958.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 23, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 127 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on June 23, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 2. submitted on June 24, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 3. submitted on June 23, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 4, 5, 6. submitted on June 24, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.