The Old Rock House – Alton, IL - Underground Railroad Sites on Waymarking.com

The Old Rock House was used as one of the stations for the Underground Railroad in the 1930’s. A nearby marker tells the history of both the Old Rock House and the College Avenue Presbyterian Church, two neighboring landmarks which were homes to the anti-slavery campaign. It also marks the site where Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy, pastor of the church and abolitionist newspaper publisher was murdered. The marker has photos of the church and a sketch of the Old Rock House. The part of the text pertaining to the Old Rock House reads:

College Avenue Presbyterian Church and the Old Rock House. The Anti-Slavery Society is Born…Across the street from the College Avenue Presbyterian Church stands the OId Rock House. This stone double dwelling was built in 1834-35 by John Higham and Henry Caswell, a stone mason from the state of New York. It was built for the Rev. T.B. Hurlburt, pastor of the College Avenue Presbyterian Church and intimate friend of Elijah Lovejoy.

The first two anti-slavery meetings in Illinois were held here on October 26 and 27, 1837. The Anti-Slavery Society was formed with sixty members. Lovejoy was elected corresponding secretary. This house also served as a “station” for the Underground Railroad.

The building originally had six dormer windows, but sometime during the 1910’s the dormers were replaced with the present concrete block addition. Other changes were also made through the years. Today, it is an apartment complex.

Address: College Avenue & Clawson Street Alton, IL USA 62002 Web site: [Web Link] Open to the public?: Private Name of organization who placed the marker: Lovejoy Memorial Site Details: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Provide an original photo of the building and/or marker, and describe your visit.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.