Knox College "Old Main"

South Street - 309-343-0112
Open: September - May, except major holidays
Hours: Mon. - Fri., 8:00am - 4:40pm, or by appointment

Old Main's construction in 1857 reflected the prosperity that the new railroad began bringing to Galesburg three years earlier. It is the sole remaining original site of the great Lincoln - Douglas debates in 1858. The debate was staged against the east wall of Old Main, and two large bronze plaques with the likenesses of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas grace that wall. Registered as a National Landmark, the building itself is a significant example of American Gothic Revival architecture.