The City of Edwardsville, Illinois is located in Madison County, about 35 minutes from Downtown St. Louis. Important roads for the city are the State Highways that run through the city such as 157, 159, and 143 and the many neighborhood streets that surround these routes. The population of Edwardsville has had an increasing population for the last two decades. Edwardsville is the location of the county seat for Madison County.
The residents of Edwardsville are served by the Edwardsville School District #7. The district has 6 primary elementary schools, 4 intermediate schools, and 5 secondary schools. Attendance to a particular school is determined by the address of the student. The Metro-East Lutheran High School is also located in Edwardsville. The Southern Illinois University's Edwardsville campus has had a prominent presence in the Edwardsville community since it opened in 1965. The Lewis and Clark Community College-N.O. Nelson Campus probably saved the historic building from demolition when it located the campus in the historic Leclair factory building in Edwardsville.
There are many recreational options located in the community. Four golf courses are located within minutes of each other. Sunset Hills Country Club is a private club, but the American Legion Golf Course, the Fox Creek Golf Course and the Oak Brook Golf Club are all public courses. The campus of SIU-E features a 9-hole Disc Golf Course. The city has 15 parks that it maintains with the largest being the Watershed Nature Center with more than 40 acres of park land and the smallest being Hotz Park with only two-tenths of an acre of park land. The park system features trails, playgrounds, sand volleyball courts, fishing lakes, athletic fields for baseball and softball, basketball courts, picnic facilities and pavilions, natural wildlife areas, gazebos and bandstands.
Edwardsville is the third oldest city of the state of Illinois. The first settlement of the area was in 1805 and was founded by Thomas Kirkpatrick. He named the growing settlement "Edwardsville" in 1813 in honor of Ninian Edwards, who was then the territorial governor of the area and later became Illinois' third governor. The City of Edwardsville was incorporated in 1872.
Many historic landmarks exist in Edwardsville today. Benjamin Stephenson, Colonel in the War of 1812 and considered to be influential in founding Edwardsville, built a brick, Federal architectural styled 2-story home in 1820. The home has been restored and is considered to be the oldest brick building in Madison County. The entire Leclaire Village, another historic landmark in Edwardsville, is on the National Register of Historic Places with most of its original structures still present. The Leclaire Academy is one of those structures, built in the 1890's as the school for the children of the factory workers living in Leclaire. Another historic building is the Hadley House, now the central office of the Edwardsville School District #7, and was built in 1875. And there are many more!
Archaeologist from SIU-E are trying to determine the exact location of another important historic site. Fort Russell, a log stockade, was built northwest of Edwardsville and was very important in defending the area during the War of 1812. The Telegraph reported on May 1, 2011 that by using enhanced aerial photography, the archaeologist think they might have found what could be a possible site of the fort along Cahokia Creek.
Edwardsville Illinois City Hall
118 Hillsboro Ave
Edwardsville, IL 62025
618-692-7500 (City Hall)
Edwardsville High School Link
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Link
Edwardsville Illinois Streetview Link
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Link
Edwardsville Illinois Streetview Link
Edwardsville Arts Center Link
Historic Leclaire Illiniois Link
Colonel Benjamin Stephenson's House Link
Edwardsville Illinois Streetview Link
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Link
Edwardsville Public Library Link
Lewis and Clark Community College-N.O. Nelson Campus in Leclaire Link
Edwardsville Township Community Park Link
Playground at the Edwardsville Township Community Park Link
Historic Leclaire Illinois Link
Edwardsville Township Community Park Link
Children's Museum housed in the Historic Leclaire Academy building Link
Edwardsville Illinois City Hall Link
Leclaire Lake Park Link
Edwardsville High School Link
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Link
Leclaire Lake Park Link
Leclaire Baseball Fields Link
Edwardsville Illinois Streetview Link
Madison County Illinois Courthouse Link
Historic Leclaire Illinois Link