Woodlawn Farm (Jacksonville, Illinois)

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Woodlawn Farm
Woodlawn Farm near Jacksonville; IL, a stop on the Underground Railroad – no2.jpg
Woodlawn Farm (Jacksonville, Illinois) is located in Illinois
Woodlawn Farm (Jacksonville, Illinois)
Nearest cityJacksonville, Illinois
Coordinates39°44′09″N 90°08′22″W / 39.73583°N 90.13944°W / 39.73583; -90.13944Coordinates: 39°44′09″N 90°08′22″W / 39.73583°N 90.13944°W / 39.73583; -90.13944
Area6 acres (2.4 ha)
Built1840 (1840)
Architectural styleGreek Revival, I-house
NRHP reference No.07000146[1]
Added to NRHPJune 6, 2007

Woodlawn Farm is a historic farm located at 1463 Gerkie Lane east of Jacksonville, Illinois. Michael Huffaker, one of Morgan County's first settlers, established the farm in the 1824 after purchasing a 160-acre plot to the south of Jacksonville, Illinois. Due to the many agricultural innovations of the 1830s, Huffaker earned a significant amount of money from his farm and became one of the county's wealthiest residents. Huffaker mainly raised livestock, particularly cattle and pigs, on his farm; while he also grew crops, the grain mainly served as feed. In 1840, Huffaker built the farmhouse, an I-house with a Greek Revival entrance and frieze, that still stands on the property. According to local tradition, the house was a stop on the Underground Railroad; as Huffaker employed many free black farmhands, he could conceal escaped slaves among his workers.[2]

The farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 6, 2007.[1]

Currently, Woodlawn Farm Museum is funded by a volunteer committee, the Underground Railroad (UGRR) Committee of the Morgan County Historical Society. The UGRR Committee serves as a not-for-profit agency to provide education to individuals interested in learning about local Jacksonville history and the underground railroad movement in Morgan County.

References[]

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ Russo, Edward J.; Mann, Curtis R. (September 20, 2006). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Woodlawn Farm" (PDF). Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2015.

External links[]

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