LaFox Broadview Academy “Beavers”

Broadview Academy Grounds

The History of LaFox Broadview Academy

LaFox (population 50?) is a small village located in northeastern Illinois in the central portion of Kane County. LaFox is situated at the intersection of County Highway 41 (Keslinger Road) and County Highway 81 (LaFox Road). The Chicago and Northwestern Railroad travels by the north side of town. LaFox is about one mile west of Geneva and 1 mile northwest of the city limits of Batavia.

A very nice history of LaFox Broadview Academy is located at the web address of http://broadviewacademy.org/history . A summary of this article is as follows:

Swedish Academy, Precursor to Broadview Academy

The Seventh Day Adventist Church established the Broadview Swedish Academy in Broadview, Illinois in 1909. The facilities were completed on 48 acres of land in 1914. In 1922 the facility’s name was changed to the Broadview College and Theological Seminary. This lasted until 1934 when the name was again when the school merged with Fox River Academy in Sheridan, Illinois and the Hinsdale Sanitarium Academy. The name of the school was changed to Broadview Academy.

In 1958 the Academy purchased Savage-Marydale farm near LaFox, Illinois. The land in Broadview was sold. Construction on the new location began that year. The school was a boarding school with separate living quarters for boys and girls. At the time it was built, the Academy was surrounded by farms for miles. However today, the population growth has reached the area and surrounds the Acedemy grounds.

View of Broadview Academy campus circa 2007

Since its opening Broadview Academy graduated over 3,000 students. Financial strife and low enrollment led to the closing of Broadview Academy after the 2006-07 school year.  Today the grounds are rented out to various groups.

LaFox Broadview Academy Quick Facts

Year established:            1909 (Broadview)

Year moved to LaFox:    1958

Year closed:                    2007

School Slogan:              “Character Above Intellect”

School team nickname: “Beavers”

School team colors:        Blue & Gold

School fight song:          “Dear Old Broadview”

                                      Three cheers for dear old Broad-view:
The school we love the best.
Our prais-es to thee Broad-view;
Your ban-ners wave above the rest.
And to our Al-ma Ma-ter,
Our homage we will pay
And loy-al we will ev-er be to B. V. A.

                                      We’ve come to dear old Broad-view,
From all through-out the land.
And when we leave her por-tals,
Forev-er true to her we’ll stand.
For in our hearts will ling-er,
A-long life’s cheer-y way,
The mem – o – ry of our
School days at B. V. A.