Jubilee College Founding Jubilee College, and the frontier community that supported it, was founded in 1839 by
Episcopal bishop Philander Chase. He named it after his expression of thankfulness and joy: "If you ask me for the reason why I call my Illinois institution Jubilee College, I answer: That name of all others suits my feelings and circumstances. I wish to give thanks and rejoice...". Earlier in his career, Chase had founded
Kenyon College in Ohio. This was one of the earliest educational institutions in Illinois, and the earliest educational enterprise by the Episcopal Church west of Ohio. He also attempted to keep the administration under his own control, and there were no trustees appointed during his lifetime. chapel was consecrated on November 15, 1840. It is made of native
sandstone. In 1836, Chase lived about a mile to the east in a home called Robin's Nest, a log cabin "made of mud and sticks and filled with young ones". The site originally had other buildings, including a sawmill, a grist mill, a small hand printing press for the periodical "The Motto", a store, a blacksmith shop, a shoemaker's shop, and cottages for teachers and laborers who lived on the property. The sawmill and flour mill were constructed on Kickapoo Creek, two miles south of the college, and used both steam and water power. The Jubilee College site was added to the
National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Public tours started in 1986. Jubilee College State Historic Site, as well as 17 other historic sites and state parks, were closed by Governor
Rod Blagojevich to help close Illinois' multimillion-dollar budget deficit. The park was reopened by Blagojevich's successor,
Pat Quinn, but closed again on October 9, 2009 due to staffing and budget shortages. In September 2022, the historic site reopened to the public. == Flora and fauna ==