GC Acquires Former McCracken Office Building

Published: April 13, 2021

Greenville College is pleased to announce its acquisition of the property at 100 North Locust Street in Greenville, former site of the McCracken Office Building. The existing space is currently under renovation to accommodate the collegesDepartment of Philosophy and Religion. Renovations, launched by faculty, staff and students (pictured above) during the summer, are currently underway in the building (pictured from left to right: Dr. S. Bradley Shaw, Dr. Kent Dunnington, Bob Munshaw, Jared Busby, Raymond Hingson, John Brittingham, Daniel Ellenburg, Jakob Adam and Dr. Rick McPeak). Move-in is scheduled for this October with a ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for Saturday, October 25, during Homecoming festivities.

The Bond County Office of the State of Illinois Department of Human Services occupied the site prior to the States closure of that office this past January. The existing space features 2,850 square feet newly reconfigured to include offices, a classroom and common area.

The property and part of its renovation costs are gifts to Greenville College from Don and Esther (Knapp) Jones. It is named in honor of Don and his two sisters, Ellen (Jones) Kingsley and Anna Lorraine (Jones) Long, all GC alumni.

The building was given in memory of the siblings parents, Charles H. and Marie E. Jones, who raised their family in Sumner, Illinois, during the Great Depression. The children learned the blessings of stewardship in the warm bonds of love, nurtured by the Free Methodist Church and an unwavering faith in God.

J K L Academic Hall is located on the northeast corner of Main and Locust Streets, diagonal from the Presidents House. It is one of several campus developments made possible by the Jones family in recent years. These include enhancements to track and field athletic facilities, expansion of campus through the purchase of the Gullies and the acquisition of buildings that now serve as the Light and Life Digital Media Center and Prairie Street Learning Center.