Eagle's Nest Colony Art Collection 
300 Jefferson Street
Oregon, IL 61061
815-732-2724

This art collection is a historic treasure of paintings and sculpture from the late 1800's and early 1900's. The Eagle's Nest colony was established in 1898 by famed sculptor Lorado Taft, to provide artists, writers, musicians, playwrights and other talented individuals a place to escape the city heat, enjoy the beautiful countryside, and create. An art gallery, which they used for art showings and lectures, was incorporated in the Public Library building plans. In 1918 the colony members began donating works of art for a permanent collection, and when the last founding member of the Eagle's nest Colony died in 1942, the library was in possession of 31 paintings and 25 sculptures.