N.O. Nelson Campus History
Lewis and Clark’s historical N.O. Nelson Campus is located at 600 Troy Road (Route 159) in Edwardsville. The campus is named after the late Industrialist N.O. Nelson who constructed his plumbing fixture business there in the late 1800s. His efforts to better the living conditions and education of his employees created the park-like Leclaire Village (now a charming neighborhood of Edwardsville). Nelson stressed the importance of education and founded the Leclaire school for employees and their children. He believed that “The hand, the heart and head must be educated together." Nelson’s business was sold to the Wagner Electric Corporation in the late 1940s which eventually closed in 1957. The site remained vacant until the Southern Illinois University Foundation purchased the property in 1964. The foundation then sold the facilities to the university in 1972. Many alums or former students/faculty/staff of SIUE remember attending art classes or working in the library or offices on the campus. The four-building campus, in need of major repair, was used by the university for classes, offices and storage for nearly 20 years before the property was deeded to Lewis and Clark Community College in 1999.
Groundbreaking began in 2002 for construction of a new two-story building (N8) on the campus which opened for classes in August 2003 to be used jointly by Edwardsville High School District and Lewis and Clark Community College. All other buildings on campus were gutted and refurbished keeping intact the red brick façades and the multitude of arch-shaped windows and sky lighting—signatures of Nelson’s uniquely designed industrial site designed to bring in light and fresh air to better the working conditions for his employees.
The first historical building on the campus to be finished was N7 which opened in spring 2004 and houses the College’s Community Education Center. College services are available at the Center such as appointments for assessment testing, enrollment and financial aid assistance. Process Operations Technology Classes also are housed in N7.
Dedicated in May 2006, N3 offers more than 20,000 square feet of classroom space. Classrooms and labs for biology, physics, drafting and CNET are located in this building as well as Adult Education Classes.
In late 2007, the College dedicated the third phase (N4) of the Edwardsville campus, naming it the Jay Hoffman Center after State Rep. Jay Hoffman who was a major supporter and procurer of funds for the renovation of the campus. The Center is the home of the St. Louis Confluence Fab Lab and also includes computer and electronic labs and a 66-seat lecture hall. A public space within the Hoffman Center, the Leclaire Room, offers room for approximately 250 people for seminars, training workshops and catered social events.