NIU shutting down Oregon’s Loredo Taft Campus

OREGON, Ill. (WTVO) — NIU’s Lorado Taft Field Campus in Oregon will be permanently closing at the end of this year.

The campus made the announcement Monday, saying Northern Illinois University decided to shutter the school on December 15th, 2024.

The 141-acre campus, located along the Rock River at 1414 N River Road, was initially known as the Eagle’s Nest Art Colony and was founded in 1898 by sculptor Lorado Taft, who designed Oregon’s famous Black Hawk Statue.

The campus was used as NIU’s outdoor education and conference center, and was used by the Chicago Art Institute and the University of Chicago art department over the years.

It includes several studios and cottages in its woodland setting.

Administrators said the campus lacks “alignment with NIU’s current mission and goals” and that financial support is not sufficient. “While the rustic buildings are picturesque, they are inefficient, antiquated and in need of costly repair. The aging infrastructure, including a wastewater treatment facility that has exceeded its functional lifespan, would require millions of dollars of investment to bring it to modern standards,” it said in a statement.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports.