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 1951 
 
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 Latest Date stamped below. 
 
 Theft, mutilation, and underlining of books 
 are reasons for disciplinary action and may 
 result in dismissal from the University. 
 
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On October 14, 1946, Robert Allerton gave to the Board of Trustees 
 of the University of Illinois part of his homestead, The Farms, near 
 Monticello in Piatt County, Illinois, to be used by the University as an 
 educational and research center, as a forest and a wild-life and plant- 
 life reserve, as an example of landscape architecture, and as a public 
 park. The portion known as the Woodland Property, approximately 
 1,500 acres in extent, has been named Robert Allerton Park. 
 
 At the same time, Mr. Allerton designated almost 250 acres just 
 north of the Park area for the Illinois 4-H Memorial Camp. This is 
 being developed and maintained by the University for 4-H Club and 
 related educational programs. 
 
 A third area, consisting of 3,775 acres of land in eight different 
 farms lying north of the Sangamon River, was provided with the stipu- 
 lation that its income be used to maintain and develop the Park. 
 
 Copyright, 1951, by the University of Illinois Press. 
 Printed in the United States of America. 
 
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 In the heart of the rolling black-soiled woodlands of the Sangamon 
 Valley, Robert Allerton fashioned one of the most beautiful estates in 
 the Middle West. Here, through the ministry of architecture, sculp- 
 ture, and landscape design, he illustrated how art and nature may be 
 blended for the delight and edification of man. Here he created a series 
 of gardens, formal and informal, each a splendid example of garden 
 craft. Embellished with statuary and ornaments acquired in his travels 
 abroad, these gardens form exciting episodes in a walk about the place 
 and delights for garden designers and students of landscape art. 
 
 Mr. Allerton is a staunch friend of the native Illinois landscape. His 
 gardens, whether based upon foreign inspiration or not, never appear 
 inappropriate. Native floral materials are used, and such Illinois trees 
 as elm and hackberry form perfect backgrounds for the vigorous statu- 
 ary of Rodin and Bourdelle. Rightfully the fringe of the estate along 
 the rambling Sangamon is left in primeval condition. 
 
 
Marking the entrance from the Mon- 
 ticello road are brick pillars surmounted 
 by 17th century Italian stone figures of 
 Diana, goddess of the hunt, and her 
 companion, an ephebe. 
 
 The avenue of impressive Norway 
 spruces on the public road continues 
 north to the Sangamon River bridge 
 (right) constructed in 1915. One of the 
 transmitters of the University's radio 
 station is located a short distance to the 
 east of this road. 
 
 An entrance leading to the west affords 
 access to many miles of trails and wood- 
 land roads included in the south portion 
 of the Park and to the Lost Garden. 
 

 The north portion of the Park is entered 
 through the gateway seen above, reached either 
 by the road from Monticello or from highway 47. 
 Adorning each of the gate pillars are Bedford 
 limestone copies of the well-known and much 
 admired statue of the "Charioteer of Delphi." 
 
 This work, done in bronze by an unknown 
 sculptor, dates back to approximately 470 B.C., 
 and probably commemorates the skill and ability 
 of a king of Cyrene, in ancient Greece. The origi- 
 nal, now in the museum at Delphi, is a fragment 
 of a group in which the central figure is standing 
 erect and relaxed in a chariot, the reins in his 
 outstretched arms, about to receive the laurel 
 wreath as a reward for a triumphant victory. 
 
The Garden of the Fu Dogs is one of the choicest creations to be 
 found anywhere in the Park both because of the interest created by the 
 eleven pairs of brilliantly colored blue Chinese dogs and because of the 
 skill that has been used in its construction. 
 
 The House of the Gold Buddhas contains especially beautiful orna- 
 mental cast iron, brought here from New Orleans. Dating back to the 
 early 19th century, it was very likely made in France and imported by 
 the early settlers in Louisiana. 
 
 A broad footpath at the south end of the garden passes the hidden 
 Goldfish Pond and leads easily to the Sangamon and the river path 
 going west past Allerton House as far as the "Sun Singer." 
 
In the garden house are located two gold Siamese Buddhas brought 
 from Bangkok (left and right below) and a stone statue from Cam- 
 bodia (Indo-China) of the Brahmin god Hari-Hara (center) who 
 combines in one person the characteristics of Vishnu, the preserver of 
 life, and Shiva, the life-destroying force. 
 
 
The approach to the Garden of the Fu Dogs from the 
 west is through an avenue of wisteria and other flower- 
 ing vines which blossom almost continuously from May 
 until late summer. The entrance to this avenue from the 
 garden is guarded by a pair of stone Fu Dogs from Korea. 
 
 The Fu Dog is actually a highly stylized and formal 
 representation of a lion, originally symbolizing the Lord 
 Buddha's position as a king. These are commonly used 
 on the domestic altars in Chinese homes of the Buddhist 
 faith. In earlier days they were made of bronze, but about 
 the time of the American Revolution porcelain became 
 the favorite material. 
 
 Although the Dogs at first seem to be much alike, a 
 closer inspection reveals many small but important dif- 
 ferences. This is in part because the Chinese do not like 
 to make identical pieces. They value variety as highly as 
 Westerners value identity. 
 
 The view from the upper level of the summer house 
 amply repays those who climb the hidden iron steps 
 which circle to the tower. 
 
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The adroit landscaping close to Aller- 
 ton House is an example of the skillful 
 blending of the formal and informal 
 which characterizes the development of 
 the whole Park area. In 1909, the lake 
 in front of the house was created by 
 damming a small, natural waterway and 
 dredging its channel to a depth of thirty 
 feet with tapering sides. Fed by two 
 never-failing springs, it serves as a re- 
 flecting pool for the house and is circled 
 by paths which lead toward the wood- 
 land areas or furnish entrances into the 
 formal gardens extending to the west. 
 
 The plan is easy-going and pleasantly 
 full of surprises; rather a group of scenes 
 with ingenious connections than a single 
 spectacle. There is no extravaganza, no 
 world's fair with a fountain on axis. 
 What is found here one must look for; 
 and get out of the car to find. 
 
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In 1896 Robert Allerton took up residence on the farm in Piatt 
 County which his father had given him at birth. He lived at first in a 
 three-room wooden house across the lake from the building which 
 became his home and is now known as Allerton House. 
 
 Two years later he decided to build a permanent home, but before 
 doing so he went to Europe with John Borie, eastern architect, and 
 spent the winter studying houses and landscape architecture. They 
 returned in the spring with plans for Allerton House and with some 
 of the basic furnishings already purchased. 
 
 Work was started on June 13, 1899, and the house was occupied, 
 although not completely finished, in 1900. In the next two years, the 
 Brick Garden was developed and the Gate House, the greenhouses, 
 and the stables were constructed. The roadside Osage orange hedge 
 also was planted then. 
 
 
 10 
 
11 
 
 The courtyard entrance to Allerton House is seen at the left. Typical 
 of many English country houses, the entrance is placed on the side 
 rather than at the front, to afford greater privacy and to preserve un- 
 broken the views reserved for esthetic enjoyment. Also by this simple 
 method callers may come and go without disturbing those using the 
 main portion of the house. A direct entrance to the dining room is 
 located on the left side of this court. 
 
 The view above, a favorite scene, shows Allerton House reflected in 
 the lake. The house faces southwest, giving it the advantage of the 
 afternoon sun without the disadvantage of direct late afternoon 
 sunlight streaming in the windows. Below is the terrace outside the 
 library and the southeastern facade. 
 
 
 
Pictured below is the Gate House and seen at the right is the House 
 in the Woods; both are used by the University as residences for those 
 attending conferences and other meetings at the Allerton extension 
 center. 
 
 The Gate House, designed by John Borie and built in 1902 as a 
 residence for the head gardener, stands at what was originally the 
 entrance to the private grounds from the public road. Later this road 
 was discontinued as a public thoroughfare, after an exchange of land. 
 
 The House in the Woods, built in 1915, was constructed of hollow 
 tile and gray stucco to demonstrate that houses could be built in this 
 part of the country using materials other than wood, at no greater ex- 
 pense. Framed in a clump of evergreens across from the lake which is 
 the center of the 4-H Memorial Camp, it is one of the most attractive 
 sites in the Park. 
 
 Especially entertaining are the old English lead garden figures 
 placed on each side of the gravel entrance path. 
 
 12 
 
The three residences in Robert Allerton Park are used almost con- 
 stantly by the University of Illinois for conferences, seminars, short 
 courses, and other meetings. Several thousand persons use the houses 
 each year for these purposes and the various gatherings held in them 
 number almost two hundred. 
 
 To make such use possible, the houses have been remodeled to some 
 extent and refurnished almost completely. As now equipped, they pro- 
 vide overnight lodging for sixty persons, dining space for 150, and a 
 number of large and small conference rooms. 
 
 Under some circumstances these facilities are available for use by 
 state-wide, regional, or national groups for conferences of an educa- 
 tional nature at times when they are not required for University 
 purposes. Inquiries as to dates available should be addressed to the 
 Director of Robert Allerton Park, Monticello, Illinois. 
 
 To make possible the privacy needed by groups assembled for con- 
 ferences, the houses are not ordinarily open to visitors to the Park. 
 
 13 
 

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 Gorgeous flowers, both wild and culti- 
 vated, are found in many spots through- 
 out the Park. One of the loveliest 
 showings is the Peony Garden (above), 
 seen at its best in late May or early June. 
 
 At the right is a photograph of the 
 "Girl with the Scarf," a statue in con- 
 crete by Lili Auer of Chicago, completed 
 in 1942. It was shown in an exhibition 
 at the Art Institute of Chicago later that 
 year and there purchased by Mr. Aller- 
 ton for display in the Brick Garden. 
 Attractive and graceful, it is an appeal- 
 ing specimen of contemporary art, located 
 in a setting remarkable for its warm 
 simplicity. 
 
 14 
 
15 
 
 Richard Kuohl's two bronze maidens seem to reach up into the sky 
 to make sure they will be seen on their tall pedestals between the elms. 
 They add a new device to the many arrangements for sculpture which 
 give the gardens distinction. They have a whole terrace and a small 
 grove to themselves and well deserve it. One of the pair is shown alone. 
 The setting in which they are located is illustrated at the bottom of 
 page 9. 
 
 On the way up from the lake the pair of stone figures forming a 
 sort of gateway to the garden walk could easily be missed, so well 
 do they blend into the natural scene. These are not great pieces like 
 some of the other figures but they show a fine example of outdoor 
 sculpture. They represent primitive men arising from the land, push- 
 ing the earth up with them. The English artist, Glyn Warren Philpot, 
 did them during a summer spent at the Park as Mr. Allerton's guest. 
 
16 
 
17 
 
 Farther along, the great "Adam" by Rodin rises 
 dramatically in its setting of clipped arbor vitae. This 
 figure, more correctly called "The Creation of Man," 
 was displayed for the first time in 1881 and was 
 sharply criticized by many who felt that Rodin had 
 been crude to the point of irreverence in his treatment 
 of the creation story. 
 
 But not all opinion was adverse. D. S. McCall, writ- 
 ing in the Saturday Review for September 29, 1900, 
 said: "It will bear long examination from one point 
 after another, to note how this shape, so highly en- 
 dowed with expressive life, plays also a rhythmical 
 music among its parts, and that this is one secret of its 
 life. It might seem impossible that a head, a torso, two 
 arms, two legs, elements so few, should recombine in 
 so many patterns, all simple, all subtle and surprising, 
 all enforcing that one slow dragging upward gesture 
 of the awakening man. From in front, the shape is 
 almost rectangular, the head droops so flat upon the 
 shoulder, with its profile in the slightest relief upon 
 the plane of the chest, while the arms hang in heavy 
 parallel. From other points of view the forms, so 
 simply enclosed in this, set up new correspondences, 
 and you would think the whole had been designed for 
 each new angle of vision." 
 
 An original bronze casting was bought by Mr. 
 Allerton from the Rodin Estate and presented to the 
 Art Institute of Chicago in 1924. The figure in the 
 Park is a stone copy of the original. 
 
I 
 
 Seen above are the Park greenhouses, long, 
 low, and resting comfortably in a garden of 
 clipped privet, which is set out formally in long 
 rows and large squares and kept tidily clipped at 
 all times. Although used mainly for giving plants 
 a pre-season start, the greenhouses occasionally 
 offer a brilliant display of their own, such as the 
 chrysanthemums, which are at their best in 
 October. 
 
 The path to the greenhouses leads from the 
 Spring Garden, at the northwest end of the lake. 
 In this area there is a succession of bloom from 
 the time when the first spring crocus appears 
 until the fall-flowering crocus. The southeast side 
 of the garden is heavily planted with crocus, 
 narcissus, grape hyacinth, and wild flowers, 
 including violets, spring-beauty, wild hyacinth, 
 and dogtooth violets. 
 
 Near the spring a substantial planting of lily- 
 of-the-valley interspersed with rushes and deli- 
 cate blue-flowered forget-me-nots add much to 
 the garden's beauty. 
 
 A picnic area is found around the outer edge 
 of the Spring Garden close to the meadow and 
 convenient to drinking water and toilet facilities. 
 
 The little shepherdess and her dog ornament a 
 small glen near the Gate House and greet pass- 
 ers-by using the motor road to Allerton House. 
 
 18 
 
The fascinating white stone fish shown on this page are used as 
 center ornaments in the Maze Garden. Brought from China, they 
 were originally fountain pieces in a prince's garden in Peiping. 
 
 Copies made here are placed in the Sunken Garden, where they 
 decorate the ends of the marble benches. 
 
 19 
 

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 20 
 
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ROAD AND TRAIL GUIDE 
 ROBERT ALLERTON PARK 
 
 Paved roads 
 Woodland roads 
 Hiking trails 
 
 Scale t 
 
 1000' 
 
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 Prepared from surveys made by students in 
 
 the Civil Engineering Department, 
 
 College of Engineering, University of Illinois 
 
 21 
 
The Maze Garden is seen to best ad- 
 vantage only by those who climb the 
 hidden steps to the walk along the top of 
 the wall which encloses it. The design is 
 ancient Chinese and is repeated on 
 each side of the central pathway. More 
 than 3,000 running feet of privet hedge 
 is required to create the scene. Here are 
 displayed the splendid white fish illus- 
 trated and described on page 19. 
 
 The trained fruit trees on the walls of 
 this erstwhile vegetable garden are a sur- 
 prise to many. The treatment is a carry- 
 over from Northern Europe where 
 warmth is needed to ripen the fruit. Here 
 it is mostly a garden fancy. The trees are 
 dwarf varieties — they are kept pruned 
 to maintain whatever shape is desired 
 and are partly supported by wires. 
 
 22 
 

 The Sunken Garden, a gigantic amphitheater of concrete with a 
 floor of emerald turf, is a superb finale in the series of garden episodes 
 which owes its splendid appearance to John Gregg, who also designed 
 settings for the "Death of the Last Centaur" and the "Sun Singer," 
 both located further along the woodland trail to the west. 
 
 Originally laid out in 1915, it was reconstructed in 1932, and in 
 its present form exhibits a Balinese influence. Here, as in other parts 
 of the Park, the design was thought out with an eye to making the 
 grounds look well-groomed with the least amount of labor. That the 
 arrangement works well is demonstrated by the very small force of 
 men needed for gardening. Much of the work is done with motor 
 mowers and clippers. 
 
 The impressive gold fish seen on the tall pillars at the garden 
 entrances (and illustrated in detail on the opposite page) were ac- 
 quired in Japan where they originally served as roof ornaments at the 
 palace in Nagoya. 
 
 23 
 
The "Death of the Last Centaur"' is one of the most imposing and 
 astonishing figures created by Antoine Bourdelle who intended it to 
 symbolize the death of paganism. Holding his strong hand on the lyre, 
 the Centaur exhausts himself; he falls injured and tumbles to the 
 ground. The night which is closing in takes possession of his neck, 
 his limbs; he is twisted and tortured. He yields; his head bends back 
 under the heavy burden of suffering; his forthcoming death benumbs 
 him little by little. Now he pulls the last chords from the lyre; his song 
 is no longer heard. He is superb in pride and despair. 
 
 24 
 

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 At the forest crosswalks, west of the Sunken Garden, the sun lights 
 a tiny glade where Bourdelle's superb bronze is placed in a setting of 
 great oaks where, in autumn, falling leaves take part in the magnificent 
 allegory. 
 
 Seen to best advantage from the river path below, it must neverthe- 
 less be viewed from all four approaches and even from above before it 
 is revealed completely. 
 
 Bourdelle, a pupil and friend of Rodin, created this monumental 
 work at his studio in Paris in 1914. The figure seen at the Park was 
 purchased from the sculptor in 1929, the year of his death, and was 
 cast from the original plaster mold. 
 
 The setting for it was designed by John Gregg. 
 
 25 
 
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 The wealth of evergreens all through the plantations 
 needs explaining in this country of prairie grasses and 
 leafy trees with few native conifers but cedars. No doubt 
 the little extra humidity of the air and adequate protec- 
 tion from winds are responsible for the Park's success 
 with evergreens which is greater than that of the upland 
 areas nearby. Here are to be found several forms of the 
 arbor vitae or trees of life, as well as several species of 
 pine, spruce, and fir, large in size and well clothed. 
 Exotic flora is used with discretion, carefully selected and 
 boldly massed, as if to support the greatness of the 
 gardens rather than to stand as individual decorations. 
 The charm lies in breadth of general effect and in bold 
 contrasts. Much is accomplished with simplest materials 
 such as privets and honeysuckle vines. 
 
27 
 
 The lovely fantasy of these formalized gardens set so unconcernedly 
 into the natural beauty of the Sangamon River Valley is a charming 
 creation of clipped plantings, sheer walls without balustrades, a few 
 very lovely great sculptures in idyllic glades and meads. In any beauti- 
 ful light it seems to be not from central Illinois but from a page in 
 a story book — a dream. 
 
 From his early youth it was Robert Allerton's dream, and as it 
 stands now it is the product of his imagination. Land developed in 
 this way is becoming rare. These woods and gardens are a gentleman's 
 estate, now maintained by the University as an outdoor museum piece 
 where people may see a sample of landscape architecture of rare 
 elegance. 
 
28 
 
 The last of the great sculptures, and by far the largest 
 statue, is reached after a ritualistic walk through more 
 woodland turns, up a hill and out into an immense open 
 meadow dotted with wild herbs and encircled by a 
 distant forest rim. Coming suddenly on the "Sun Singer," 
 standing with outstretched arms on his high platform in 
 the center of the meadow, one is unable to grasp his im- 
 mensity. He belongs like the eagle to the open sky and 
 dwells in the blue atmosphere exulted and measureless. 
 It is worth the walk up the steps of the platform to look 
 at the huge singing figure against the moving sky. Seen 
 from this angle, the colossal statue has no apparent 
 weight, a great achievement of the sculptor. 
 
 
29 
 
 
 The "Sun Singer" by Carl Milles was created as a 
 memorial to the Swedish poet Esaias Tegner (1782- 
 1846), a patriotic poet and writer influential in turning 
 attention to the riches of the Norse sagas and the early 
 literature of Scandinavia. 
 
 The opening lines of Esaias Tegner's "Song to the 
 
 Sun" illustrate the inspiration behind Carl Milles' great 
 
 work: 
 
 I will sing unto thee, 
 
 O thou radiant sun, 
 
 High aloft on thy throne 
 
 In the deep, azure night, 
 
 With the worlds left and right 
 
 As thy vassals. Below 
 
 In thy glance they may glow; 
 
 But their light thou must be. 
 
 Erected in Stockholm in 1926, the replica of the "Sun 
 Singer" was purchased there from the sculptor in 1930 
 and placed in the Park setting designed by John Gregg 
 in 1932. 
 
 Carl Milles, writing to Robert Allerton in 1946, spoke 
 of the setting as "magnificent — the most beautiful set- 
 ting I have ever seen." He continued: "I hope that this 
 bronze will stay there in that way till the last man has 
 gone — when earth is as dead as the moon — and still 
 this is there." 
 
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 There are many miles of riverside and 
 highland trails through natural wood- 
 land. Contained within the Park limits 
 are nearly a thousand acres of wooded 
 and uncultivated areas, maintained by 
 the University as a plant and wild-life 
 sanctuary. 
 
 The Garden Tower (seen right), 
 southwest of the "Sun Singer" and 
 hidden by a fringe of trees, is a beautiful, 
 little-known edifice which provides a 
 convenient elevation for a view over the 
 wooded Sangamon Valley to the west. 
 
 No significant garden construction 
 occurred later than 1938 when the 
 tower was completed. 
 
 30 
 

 Because hunting and trapping are prohibited in the 
 Park, small animals abound and it has become a para- 
 dise for bird-watchers. Camera enthusiasts find unlimited 
 opportunities for pictures of every sort, season by season. 
 
 The wood roads are intended principally for hikers 
 but can be used for one-way automobile traffic in dry 
 weather. Low speed is advisable at all times. 
 
 Visitors to the south Park are urged to confine them- 
 selves as much as possible to the roads, trails, gardens, 
 and picnic areas, to avoid disturbing the animal and 
 plant life. 
 
 The Sangamon winds peacefully through the middle 
 of the Park. On the north bank a shady water-level trail 
 follows it west to the old swimming hole and picnic area 
 near the "Sun Singer." 
 
 31 
 
Hidden far at the western end of the south 
 Park is the Lost Garden. The pavilion, designed 
 by John Gregg, was constructed in 1932. Not 
 easily located, the garden is that much more of 
 a treat for those resourceful enough to find it. 
 
 Plantings of eastern red cedar are inter- 
 spersed with perennials, bearded iris, yucca, 
 sedum, tulips, and wild larkspur. 
 
 Facing the open court, in a niche in the 
 pavilion, is found a copy, in fine Carrera marble, 
 of the statue of Venus, made in 1812 by the 
 Italian sculptor Antonio Canova. 
 
 32 
 
Thirteen amusing and entertaining 
 garden figures line the paths in the Lost 
 Garden. Cut in England, from soft stone, 
 they are representations of Chinese or 
 oriental musicians, each playing a differ- 
 ent instrument. In most cases the features 
 are more Anglo-Saxon than Oriental, 
 betraying the influence of the English 
 stonecutters. 
 
 33 
 
34 
 
 From the air, the Lost Garden is seen in the midst 
 of the encroaching forest which in a hundred years will 
 vastly enhance the Parks present glory and make it 
 difficult for anyone to believe that this land was once 
 timbered-off for farming. 
 
 Greeting those who come upon the garden by the 
 wood road is a lead statue of a Faun playing a musical 
 instrument called the Scabellum. The original, in marble 
 and known as "The Marble Faun," is in the Uffizi 
 Gallery in Florence, Italy. 
 
Let it not be said that art in monumental 
 sculpture cannot serve humble purposes. If 
 Robert Allerton Park has a meaning, it must be 
 that landscape is handsomely served by great 
 sculpture, and further, that even the world's 
 great masterpieces are elevated to a superior 
 eminence by the fine art of spatial design in the 
 landscape. Here the insistence on realization of 
 form beyond mere decoration becomes startling 
 evidence of the meaning of formal beauty. Here 
 is the obvious achievement of placing landscape 
 architecture among the great arts of design. 
 
 35 
 
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 36 
 
 Visitors who wander off the gravel paths are often 
 rewarded by sudden glimpses of statues hiding shyly in 
 unexpected places. Typical of these is "The Three 
 Graces" (above), a copy of a marble group by Germain 
 Pilon, now in the Louvre, Paris. Originally it was placed 
 in the Church of the Celestines in the same city, where it 
 supported a bronze urn by Dominico Florentino, con- 
 taining the heart of King Henry II. 
 
The Park is not equipped as a playground or 
 sports area but visitors are welcome to take 
 advantage of picnic tables which have been set 
 about in the central portion or to use the many 
 groves in outlying portions which make natural 
 picnic areas. 
 
 In each of the past three years an average of 
 approximately 50,000 visitors have enjoyed the 
 Park, and the care and respect they have shown 
 for the grounds has been a source of much grati- 
 fication to the University. 
 
 Waste receptacles are located at convenient 
 points throughout the most traveled areas and 
 visitors are urged to continue the kind of 
 thoughtful cleanliness which has kept the Park 
 so attractive at all times. 
 
 Naturally, the flowers and plants are for all to 
 enjoy and should not, therefore, be picked or 
 disturbed in any way. 
 
 Guests using the north Park area are requested 
 to leave their automobiles in the large parking 
 lot near the main gate. 
 
 
 37 
 
38 
 
 
 Visitors to the Park soon discover that it is not possible 
 to catch its mood fully in a single visit, and it soon 
 becomes obvious that a person cannot even cover all 
 the ground in one trip. Great differences are seen as the 
 seasons change, and even through a day variations in 
 the light from dawn to sunset produce remarkable effects. 
 
 Those who can are urged to come frequently, to revisit 
 favorite spots and to explore new sections for the rewards 
 they contain. 
 
 Travel by twos and threes is the most enjoyable 
 method of going about, and the only satisfactory way of 
 seeing the Park at its best is to walk. 
 
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39 
 
 
 
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ROBERT ALLERTON 
 
 Robert Allerton, son of Samuel W. Allerton, was born in Chicago 
 on March 20, 1873. He attended Harvard School there and St. Paul's 
 School in Concord, New Hampshire. He studied four years in Europe, 
 at the Royal Academy in Munich, Germany and at the Academy 
 Julien in Paris, France. 
 
 Mr. Allerton, who is unmarried, has spent many years traveling 
 over the world, collecting art treasures which captured permanently 
 for him and all who have since seen them the essence of the different 
 countries he visited. For a number of years Mr. Allerton has been 
 vice-president of the Art Institute of Chicago, to which he has given 
 many of these objects of art, including those in the Agnes Allerton 
 Galleries named in memory of his mother, and in the Allerton wing of 
 the Institute. 
 
 While living on The Farms of his Illinois homestead, he also took a 
 great interest in the productivity of his land and gradually developed 
 his holdings into top-producing farms. 
 
 In 1923, Mr. Allerton was invited to serve on the University of 
 Illinois Planning Board, and he became closely associated with the 
 University and its development. He was the donor of traveling scholar- 
 ships in American architecture from 1926 to the present date. The 
 scholarships provided travel and study for two junior student architects 
 who were highest, scholastically, in the University course in architec- 
 tural history. Mr. Allerton also held an annual open house for senior 
 students in architecture and in landscape architecture. 
 
 In 1938, he visited the Hawaiian Islands accompanied by John 
 Gregg, designer of several Park settings. They acquired a beautiful 
 home on Kauai, often called "The Garden Island" — a 100-acre 
 estate which was formerly the home of Queen Emma. Today Mr. 
 Allerton continues to enjoy the extensive tropical gardens and retains 
 many of the furnishings and art treasures sent from The Farms at 
 Monticello, which surround him at his island home. 
 
 40 
 
SPRINGFIELD 
 
 VANDALIA 
 
 Robert Allerton Park is located in Piatt 
 County, Illinois, four miles southwest of Monti- 
 cello and twenty-six miles from the Champaign- 
 Urbana campus of the University of Illinois. It 
 is easily accessible by good roads from all parts 
 of the State. For routes see the map above. 
 
 Those coming by private airplane are invited 
 to use the landing strip at the Park, as marked 
 on flight maps. The field is not lighted or suit- 
 able for use in bad weather. 
 
 CHAMPAIGN 
 URBANA 20 Mi. 
 
 c rKAO' 1 ii*>V-/ Road to Park 
 
 ot^i****'^ I /V 
 
 «<9 
 
 MONTICELLO 
 
 ROBERT ALLERTON PARK 
 
 Y 
 
 BEMENT 6 Mi. 
 
 Photographs in this brochure are by Perry Gliessman and Ray R. Hamm. The art work was done by Howard Burgdorf, under the 
 direction of Ralph Eckerstrom. The text was prepared by Par Danforth, with valuable assistance from Robert Allerton, George Amsbary, 
 John W. Gregg, Nancy Malone, Rexford Newcomb, and Stanley H. White. It was produced by the University of Illinois Press and printed 
 by the Neely Printing Company, Chicago, Illinois, in 1951. 
 
 Price, 60 cents per copy; 75 cents by mail. Orders should be addressed to the University of Illinois, Robert Allerton Park, Monticello,- 
 Illinois. 
 
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 ■'■■■- 
 
rhe person charging this material is re- 
 ; ponsible for its return to the library from 
 $iich it was withdrawn on or before the 
 Latest Date stamped below. 
 
 Thefl, mutilation, and underlining of books 
 
 ore reasons for disciplinary action and may 
 
 result in dismissal from the University. 
 
 ~ c „, lk ,ni« IIRRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBKAKT »i 
 
 
 APR 1 * V* 
 APR im 
 
 L161 — O-1096 
 Fireplace in the Great Hall 
 
 Seminar Room 
 
ALLERTON HOUSE 
 
 On October 14, 1946, Robert Allerton gave to the Board of Trustees 
 of the University of Illinois 5,500 acres of his homestead. The Farms, near 
 Montieello in Piatt County, Illinois, for an educational center and a park. 
 The portion of the gift known as the Woodland Property, approximately 
 1,500 acres in extent, has been named Robert Allerton Park. 
 
 Allerton House is the University of Illinois conference center at Robert 
 Allerton Park, twenty-five miles out in the countryside from the Champaign- 
 Urbana campus. Here the University provides an appropriate setting and 
 comfortable facilities both for special short courses of study administered 
 by the Division of University Extension, and for the educational meetings 
 and conferences of the University generally. 
 
 The Main House, together with two smaller houses, provides lodging 
 accommodations for from 65 to 70 persons, as follows : the Main House, 
 35-40 persons; the Gate House, 12-15 persons; the House in the Woods, 
 15-17 persons. Lodging accommodations at Allerton House are not pre- 
 cisely hotel accommodations — there are no elevators, no bellboys, no room 
 service, and no tipping — but the house is magnificent and the rooms are 
 pleasant, well kept, and very comfortable. Only a few rooms are single 
 rooms; most of the rooms are twin-bedded doubles and triples. The dining 
 room will seat 150 persons comfortably. There is a parking lot near the 
 house that provides plenty of free parking space — enough for hundreds 
 of cars. The conference rooms and informal classrooms will seat groups 
 as follows: the Library, 125 persons; the Pine Room, 35 persons; the 
 Butternut Room, 30 persons; the Oak Room, 15-18 persons; and the Sun- 
 porch, 50 persons. 
 
 The Wabash Railroad serves Montieello from Chicago and from St. 
 Louis ; and the Greyhound Bus Lines serve Montieello from Champaign and 
 from Decatur. Persons traveling by automobile can reach the park by a 
 brick pavement from Montieello, which is on State Route 105, or by county 
 road from State Route 47 at a point indicated by highway markers about 
 two and a half miles west of Montieello. Persons arriving by small pri- 
 vate plane can land in the daytime on a landing strip at the park, as marked 
 on flight maps. The field is not lighted or suitable for use in bad weather. 
 
Library 
 
 Fireplace in the Great Hall 
 
 Seminar Room 
 
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ALLERTON HOUSE 
 
 On October 14, 1946, Robert Allerton gave to the Board of Trustees 
 of the University of Illinois 5,500 acres of his homestead. The Farms, near 
 Monticello in Piatt County, Illinois, for an educational center and a park. 
 The portion of the gift known as the Woodland Property, approximately 
 1 .500 acres in extent, has been named Robert Allerton Park. 
 
 Allerton House is the University of Illinois conference center at Robert 
 Allerton Park, twenty-five miles out in the countryside from the Champaign- 
 Urbana campus. Here the University provides an appropriate setting and 
 comfortable facilities both for special short courses of study administered 
 by the Division of University Extension, and for the educational meetings 
 and conferences of the University generally. 
 
 The Main House, together with two smaller houses, provides lodging 
 accommodations for from 65 to 70 persons, as follows: the Main House, 
 35-40 persons; the Gate House, 12-15 persons; the House in the Woods, 
 15-17 persons. Lodging accommodations at Allerton House are not pre- 
 cisely hotel accommodations — there are no elevators, no bellboys, no room 
 service, and no tipping — but the house is magnificent and the rooms are 
 pleasant, well kept, and very comfortable. Only a few rooms are single 
 rooms; most of the rooms are twin-bedded doubles and triples. The dining 
 room will seat 150 persons comfortably. There is a parking lot near the 
 house that provides plenty of free parking space — enough for hundreds 
 of ears. The conference rooms and informal classrooms will seat groups 
 as follows: the Library, 125 persons; the Pine Room, 35 persons; the 
 Butternut Room, 30 persons; the Oak Room, 15-18 persons; and the Sun- 
 porch, 50 persons. 
 
 The Wabash Railroad serves Monticello from Chicago and from St. 
 Louis ; and the Greyhound Bus Lines serve Monticello from Champaign and 
 from Decatur. Persons traveling by automobile can reach the park by a 
 brick pavement from Monticello, which is on State Route 105, or by county 
 road from State Route 47 at a point indicated by highway markers about 
 two and a half miles west of Monticello. Persons arriving by small pri- 
 vate plane can land in the daytime on a landing strip at the park, as marked 
 on flight maps. The field is not lighted or suitable for use in bad weather. 
 
Gate to Formal Gardens 
 
 Maze Garden 
 
 The Sun Sinner 
 
ALL 
 
 T O 
 
On October 14, 1946, Robert Allerton gave to the Board of Trustees 
 of the University of Illinois 5,500 acres of his homestead, The Farms, near 
 Monticello in Piatt County, Illinois, for an educational center and a park. 
 The portion of the gift known as the Woodland Property, almost 1,500 
 acres in extent, has been named Robert Allerton Park. 
 
 Allerton House is the University's conference center in the Park, twenty- 
 five miles out in the countryside from the Champaign-Urbana campus. 
 Here the University provides a distinctive setting and comfortable facilities 
 both for special courses of instruction administered by the Division of Uni- 
 versity Extension, and for educational conferences and meetings of the 
 University generally. 
 
 It would be difficult to find a more unusual setting for the educational 
 center — near and of the campus, and yet in natural surroundings. Late 
 in March snowdrops, buttercups, and crocuses bloom. In late April, early 
 May, the redbud and dogwood blossom in the woodland, and jonquils and 
 daffodils in the gardens. Iris and peonies bloom in latter May and early 
 June. All the native wildflowers may be found along the woodland paths. 
 In summer, there are pleasant meadows and miles of hedges; and in 
 autumn, colored leaves of oak, hickory, and maple are magnificent in the 
 soft warmth of an Indian summer day. In winter, light snow covers the 
 hundreds of evergreens that surround the house. Peaceful air of park and 
 countryside makes for quiet thought, and for calm deliberation. 
 
 Allerton House and two smaller houses provide lodging accommodations 
 for one hundred persons. Lodging accommodations at Allerton House are 
 not precisely hotel accommodations — there are no elevators, no bellboys, 
 no room service, and no tipping — but the house is magnificent and the 
 rooms are pleasant, well kept, and very comfortable. Only a few rooms are 
 single rooms; most are twin-bed doubles and triples. The dining room will 
 seat one hundred twenty-five persons comfortably. Conference rooms in the 
 main house seat groups as follows: the Library, one hundred persons; the 
 Pine Room, thirty-five persons; the Butternut Room, thirty persons; the Oak 
 Room, fifteen persons; and the Sunporch, fifty persons. There is a parking 
 lot near the house that provides plenty of free parking space — enough for 
 hundreds of cars. 
 
 The Wabash Railroad serves Monticello from Chicago and from St. 
 Louis; and the Capitol Transit Bus Lines serve Monticello from Champaign 
 and from Decatur. Persons traveling by automobile can reach the park 
 by a brick pavement from Monticello, which is on State Route 105, or by 
 county road from State Route 47 at a point indicated by highway markers 
 about two and a half miles west of Monticello. Persons arriving by small 
 aeroplane can land in the daytime on a landing strip at the park, as 
 marked on flight maps. The field is not lighted or suitable for use in bad 
 weather. 
 
Gate to Formal Gardens 
 
 Maze Garden 
 
 The Sun Singer 
 

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 to Chicago 
 
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 LINCOLN 
 
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 DANVILLE 
 
 Imonticello 
 
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 CHRISM AN f a. 
 
 CHAMPAIGN *^ 
 URBANA 26 Mi. 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 ROBERT ALLERTON PARK 
 
 MONTICELLO, ILLINOIS 
 
 On October 14, 194 6, Robert Allerton gave to the 
 Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois part of his 
 homestead, The Farms, near Monticello in Piatt County, 
 Illinois, to be used by the University as an educational 
 and research center, as a forest and a wild-life and 
 plant-life reserve, as an example of landscape architec- 
 ture, and as a public park. The portion known as the 
 Woodland Property, approximately 1,500 acres in extent, 
 has been named Robert Allerton Park. 
 
 At the same time Mr. Allerton designated almost 250 
 acres just north of the Park area for the Illinois 4-H 
 Memorial Camp. This is being developed and maintained 
 by the University for 4-H Club and related educational 
 programs. 
 
 A third area, consisting of 3,775 acres of land in eight 
 'fferent farms lying north of the Sangamon River, was 
 ided with the stipulation that its income be used to 
 •in and develop the Park. 
 
 \*$£ 
 
 so* 
 
 ** 
 
 Road to Park 
 
 MONTICELLO 
 
 ROBERT ALLERTON PARK 
 
 BEMENT 6 Mi. 
 
 Robert Allerton Park, property of the University of Illinois, is located in 
 Piatt County, Illinois, four miles southwest of Monticello and 26 miles from 
 the Champoign-Urbana campus. It is easily accessible by good roads from 
 all directions, as indicated on the map above. It is possible to reach the 
 Park by turning directly off Route 47, at the point marked by directional 
 arrows. This is usually the shortest route and is recommended to those com- 
 ing for the first time. It is advantageous to arrive before dark, if possible, 
 because the roads into and within the Park are much easier to follow in 
 daylight. 
 
 Those coming by private airplane are invited to use the landing strip at 
 the Park, as marked on flight maps. The field is not lighted or suitable for 
 use in bad weather. 
 

 BLOOMINGTOf* 
 
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 lo Chicago ' 
 
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 LINCOIN CUNTON 
 
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 Imonticello 
 
 DANVILLE 
 
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 CHRISMAN f g. 
 
 -®- 
 
 3' 
 
 CHAMPAIGN ^. 
 URBANA 26 Mi. 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 ROBERT ALLERTON PARK 
 
 MONTICELLO, ILLINOIS 
 
 On October 14, 194 6, Robert Allerton gave to the 
 Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois part of his 
 homestead, The Farms, near Monticello in Piatt County, 
 Illinois, to be used by the University as an educational 
 and research center, as a forest and a wild-life and 
 plant-life reserve, as an example of landscape architec- 
 ture, and as a public park. The portion known as the 
 Woodland Property, approximately 1,500 acres in extent, 
 has been named Robert Allerton Park. 
 
 At the same time Mr. Allerton designated almost 250 
 acres just north of the Park area for the Illinois 4-H 
 Memorial Camp. This is being developed and maintained 
 by the University for 4-H Club and related educational 
 programs. 
 
 A third area, consisting of 3,775 acres of land in eight 
 different farms lying north of the Sangamon River, was 
 provided with the stipulation that its income be used to 
 maintain and develop the Park. 
 
 «°££ 
 
 ,-w* 
 
 l* 
 
 Road to Park 
 
 MONTICELLO 
 
 | ROBERT ALLERTON PARK 
 III 1 ' 
 
 BEMENT 6 Mi. 
 I. 
 
 Robert Allerton Park, property of the University of Illinois, is located in 
 Piatt County, Illinois, four miles southwest of Monticello and 26 miles from 
 the Champaign-Urbana campus. It is easily accessible by good roads from 
 all directions, as indicated on the map above. It is possible to reach the 
 Park by turning directly off Route 47, at the point marked by directional 
 arrows. This is usually the shortest route and is recommended to those com- 
 ing for the first time. It is advantageous to arrive before dark, if possible, 
 because the roads into and within the Park are much easier to follow in 
 daylight. 
 
 Those coming by private airplane are invited to use the landing strip at 
 the Park, as marked on flight maps. The field is not lighted or suitable for 
 use in bad weather. 
 

 
 
 
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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 
 
 3 0112 070988065