Elgin Academy is a non-demoninational private preparatory school in Elgin, Illinois, United States. It claims to be the oldest coeducational, non-sectarian such school west of the Allegheny Mountains.

It was established by charter of the Illinois State Congress in 1839 as a private school.

The Academy's original building, "Old Main", was constructed in 1856 by J. Quigley of Buffalo, New York in the Greek Revival style. It is now on the United States' National Register of Historic Places and museum of the Elgin Area Historical Society.

Its cirriculum began as a classical education.

Principal Nathaniel C. Sears expanded it from a local-area school to a boarding school with the construction of its Sears Hall. Edwards Hall was built in 1969.

The school's classrooms are now mainly housed in three buildings:

• Edwards Hall (high school)
• Sears Hall (middle school)
• North Hall (elementary school)

However, some classes are taught in the nearby Old Main.

References

• Alft, E. C. Elgin: Days Gone By. Crossroads Communications, 1992. Available online.

External links

• Elgin Academy, official website