Batavia Institute

The Batavia Institute is a Registered Historic Place located in Batavia, Illinois, USA.

Batavia Institute

Batavia Institute, a private academy, was chartered on 12 February 1853 by 13 men, including Rev. Stephen Peet, the Congregational minister, Elijah Shumway Town, Joel McKee, John Van Nortwick, Dennison K. Town, who settled in Batavia in 1839 as its first physician, and Isaac G. Wilson.

The central part of the building, which still stands in Batavia at 333 South Jefferson Street, at Union Avenue, was constructed in 1853–1854 of locally quarried limestone at a cost of $20,000. The architect Elijah Shumway Town designed the building in a Greek Revival style.

At the time that the Batavia Institute was built, there were no secondary schools in Batavia. In fact, since not many towns had high schools, students came to the Batavia Institute from all over Illinois. The school operated for over 10 years under the supervision of the Congregational churches in the area until new public school laws lessened the need for such a school. For a short time the building was rented to the public schools.