The Council of Independent Colleges: Historic Campus Architecture Project

McKendree Front Lawn

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McKendree Front Lawn (general view), McKendree College

McKendree Front Lawn (view toward central campus), McKendree College

McKendree Front Lawn (pathway), McKendree College

Institution Name: McKendree College
Original/Historic Place Name: McKendree Historic Arboretum
Location on Campus: Front Lawn of College Hill, south view
Date(s) of Construction:

n.d.	natural landscape

Designer:
Type of Place: Landscape site
Style: (Glossary)
Significance: education, history, landscape
Narrative: see below
References: see below

Function:

ca. 2004-present (2006)

outdoor space

Narrative:
The McKendree College Front Lawn is a wooded fifteen acres on the south side of the campus. It is the first part of the college campus that visitors see. The Front Lawn contains trees that pre-date the Civil War alongside relatively new seedlings. The college maintains the grounds with the recognition that the trees are not only historic but need rejuvenation as older trees die of disease or weather related accidents. Some of the varieties include oak, sycamore, elm, apple, cottonwood, ginkgo, willow, maple, magnolia and pecan.

Images of the Front Lawn appear on some of the oldest known drawings and photographs of the college. The Front Lawn is a popular gathering place for students and local community neighbors. The May commencment is held on the Front Lawn and is a revered place for many students and alumni.

References:

McKendree College History, 1928-1978. Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing, 1996.

Selected items in College collections (including yearbooks, newspapers, catalogs, clippings). Archives. McKendree College, Lebanon, IL.

Steen, Robert, McKendree College. Lebanon, IL: McKendree College, 1948.

Walton, William A. Centennial McKendree College History with St. Clair County. Lebanon, IL: McKendree College, 1928.