Commitment to Hadley House

written by Dr. Allen Duncan, Interim Superintendent 

In March of 2004 as a senior at Illinois State University, I was asked to come to Edwardsville for my second interview for a teaching position at Edwardsville High School. My first interview took place in a beautiful, modern high school, one that rivaled every campus south of Springfield, Illinois. I assumed the second would be no different.  

Instead, I was instructed to report to a place I had never heard of - Hadley House.  

As a nervous 21‑year‑old preparing for his first real job interview, I wasn’t sure what intimidated me more, walking up to this imposing, elegant Victorian‑era mansion, or meeting Dr. Edward Hightower for the first time. I’ll let you be the judge of that.  

For years afterward, throughout my time in Edwardsville, I never fully understood the significance of Hadley House. I knew the building. I walked through its halls. I attended meetings there. But I didn’t know the story. I didn’t grasp Hadley House’s place in our community’s identity. Recently, that changed. 

Over the past couple of months, I’ve had several conversations with Craig Becker, someone whose passion for Hadley House is as deep as it is infectious. Through those conversations, Craig took me on a journey into the building’s past, sharing the kind of details that make you realize just how much history you’ve been casually walking past for years.  

Here are some of the things I learned, pieces of history that deserve to be shared, celebrated, and preserved:  

• Hadley House began as a wedding gift to Mary and Flavius Hadley, gifted by Mary’s parents.  

• It was built in what was once known as the “West End” neighborhood of Edwardsville.  

• The home underwent major remodels in 1898 and 1924, both following fires that destroyed the original third‑floor ballroom.  

• In 1922, the Edwardsville School Board sought to purchase the home as part of an ambitious vision to build a new high school to replace the aging building on Kansas Street, now the home of the Columbus Jaguars.  

• The property was eventually sold to the Edwardsville Community Unit Board of Education for $45,000.  

• Soon after, Hadley School opened, offering classrooms for elementary students and office space for district staff.  

• By 1966, with N.O. Nelson School completed, classrooms were no longer needed in the mansion, and Hadley House transitioned fully into its role as the District’s Central Office.  

I am humbled by the incredible history of this building, and why it means so much to the community. I recognize why so many people are asking What’s next for Hadley House? 

Today, the building serves as the home of the District’s Operations and Maintenance, Technology, and Food Service departments. S.M. Wilson is also occupying a portion of the space while completing their oversight of the construction work at Lincoln Middle School. While construction will eventually end, the truth is, our Central Office capacity needs have grown too large to return everyone to Hadley House. The era of serving as the district’s administrative home has passed.  

This doesn’t mean its future is dim.  

In fact, quite the opposite: we are committed to ensuring Hadley House remains a pillar of this community.  

We’ve already begun collaborating with the Historic Saint Louis Street Association, the Madison County Historical Society, and the Historic Preservation Commission to start the crucial work of preserving the exterior of the building. The City of Edwardsville has graciously donated 10 new trees, planted this fall, to support the grounds and beautify the property.  

Perhaps most exciting of all, we are in the early stages of planning a 150‑year celebration of Hadley House, a chance to honor its past while mapping out its future.  

This house has stood for generations. It has been a home, a school, an office, and a landmark. It has watched the community grow, and the community, in return, has embraced it.  

In 2004, I walked into Hadley House unsure of what was waiting for me. More than 20 years later, I look at it with a sense of appreciation, pride, and responsibility.  

A building like this doesn’t just survive 150 years; a community carries it there.  

Stay tuned, there’s more history to celebrate.