Woodlawn Farm (Jacksonville, Illinois)


Woodlawn Farm is a historic farm located at 1463 Gerkie Lane east of Jacksonville, Illinois. Michael Huffaker, one of Morgan County's first settlers, established the farm in the 1820s after buying up a large section of land. Due to the many agricultural innovations of the 1830s, Huffaker earned a significant amount of money from his farm and became one of the county's wealthiest residents. Huffaker mainly raised livestock, particularly cattle and pigs, on his farm; while he also grew crops, they mainly served as feed. In 1840, Huffaker built the farm's farmhouse, an I-house with a Greek Revival entrance and frieze. According to local tradition, the house was a stop on the Underground Railroad; as Huffaker employed many free black farmhands, he could conceal escaped slaves among his workers.
The farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 6, 2007.