The Urbana and Champaign Institute
"Never were a people more in earnest, and never did the people of this county act with greater harmony and unanimity."
- J. O. Cunningham, The History of Champaign County, p. 779
The Urbana and Champaign Institute
Between University Ave. and White St. to the North and Sourth and Romine and Wright St. to the East and West
Building is no longer standing
In 1861, the Illinois legislature passed a bill to build a seminary and agricultural school, the Urbana and Champaign Institute. The cornerstone of the Institute was laid on August 6, 1861. However, Stoughton and Co., the company responsible for building the Institute, was not given the $5,000 to complete it. The Civil War had begun, and construction was suspended.
Soon after, on July 2, the Morrill Act of 1862 was passed. This act gave federal funds to establish an agricultural and mechanical college in each Union state. With a half-completed building and a desire to have the Institute in the county, Champaign government leaders began to push for the funds to establish the college.
County leaders made a deal to buy the Institute from Stoughton and Co., and the building was finally completed. In January 1865, Champaign County offered the Institute building to Illinois Industrial University. Champaign was competing with Bloomington, Lincoln, and Jacksonville, more established and settled cities in the state, to get the Morrill Act funds. The Illinois General Assembly voted to house the agricultural college in Champaign, and the county officials donated the Institute building to the University.
The University Building, as it was called, was used from 1867 to 1880. It had classrooms for 400 students and dorms for 130. In 1880, a wind storm tore exterior walls and parts of the roof down. Still, the building had served its use: establishing the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.