Knox College's Old Main

Old Main at 150

At 150, Old Main Rocks

"Praise Father, Son, and Mrs. Post"

Lincoln and Douglas through the Years

Politicians to Poets

21st-Century Old Main

Return of the Ring

Hey Hey, Ho Ho, Old Main is Where We Go

Memories of Old Main

An Old Main Wedding Album

Youth and Pioneers: An Ode by Carl Sandburg

Old Main holds classrooms and administrative offices at Knox College. An American architectural landmark of the first order, Old Main's history is still very much alive in its offices and classrooms. The ideals of the College expressed in the architecture of Old Main are mirrored by the use of the building itself. It combines faculty offices, administrative offices, classrooms, and public spaces.

Old Main is the only existing site of one of the 1858 senatorial debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas and has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Old Main is one of the most important pre-Civil War buildings in the Midwest. Built in the most respected style of the day—Collegiate Gothic—Old Main received high praise upon its completion in 1857 and is still recognized today as a building of architectural distinction.

In addition to its status as a National Historic Landmark, Old Main expresses Knox College's ongoing commitment to equal rights, democratic ideals, international excellence, an openness to new and old, and a mission to summon up the best in ourselves, as evidenced in Knox's Original Circular and Plan, which hangs on Old Main's first floor.

Celebrating 150 Years of Distinction

2007 marks the 150th anniversary of Old Main. Old Main originally opened its doors in 1857 for Knox students, faculty, staff, and visitors alike. Janet Greig Post, Knox Class of 1894 and the College's first woman trustee, single-handedly raised the funds to renovate Knox's most beloved building in the 1930s, rededicating it at Knox's Centenary celebration in 1937. "Old Main, rededicated to youth, stands as a symbol of the permanence of Knox College and of its faith in the future," Post said at the re-dedication. Listen to the Address (MP3).

Today, Old Main remains the heart of the Knox College campus, welcoming students and faculty to its classrooms, visitors to the Lincoln-Douglas Debate site, and staff to its offices. "Probably nothing symbolizes the durability and legacy of Knox College better than Old Main," says Knox College President Roger L. Taylor '63.