Map of Otterville town, Illinois

Otterville is an incorporated town in Jersey County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 87.

Otterville town overview:
Name:	Otterville town
LSAD Code:	43
LSAD Description:	town (suffix)
State:	Illinois
County:	Jersey County
Incorporated:	March 7, 1867 (1867-03-07)
Elevation:	627 ft (191 m)
Total Area:	1.01 sq mi (2.61 km²)
Land Area:	1.01 sq mi (2.61 km²)
Water Area:	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Total Population:	87
Population Density:	86.48/sq mi (33.39/km²)
Area code:	618
FIPS code:	1756978
GNISfeature ID:	2396842

Online Interactive Map

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Otterville online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Otterville location map. Where is Otterville town?

Otterville location on the U.S. Map. Where is Otterville town. — Otterville location on the U.S. Map.

Otterville location on the Illinois map. Where is Otterville town. — Location of Otterville in Illinois.

History

Otterville is the home of the first free integrated school in the United States, the Hamilton Primary School, located on Main Street. In 1834, Dr. Silas Hamilton, a local physician, left $4,000 for the construction and operation of a building for educational and religious purposes. A stone-built school was opened in 1836, and the tuition-free education for local students attracted families to the area. The school was razed in 1872, and was rebuilt and enlarged, with the original stones at the base. Classes were held at the school until 1971. George Washington, a slave freed by Dr. Hamilton, studied here, became successful, and established a perpetual scholarship fund for Americans of African descent. He also provided for the erection of a monument to his former master at the school.

The school was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.