History of the Homestead Festival

The annual Homestead Festival honors Reverend Owen Lovejoy and his contributions to our nation's history. Lovejoy was prominent in the abolition movement and the Underground Railroad, a founder of the Illinois and national Republican Party, and a congressional leader.

Today his home is open to the public as a museum. The United States Secretary of the Interior declared the property a National Historic Landmark in 1997, and it is also on the National Register of Historic Places.

The following is a biography of Owen Lovejoy, and a brief history of his home and the Homestead Festival.