![Bald Knob Cross of Peace](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Bald_Knob_Cross_of_Peace.jpg)
Bald Knob Cross, officially known as the Bald Knob Cross of Peace, is a large white cross located in
Alto Pass,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The structure is tall. The base of the cross is 1,034 feet above sea level and overlooks the
Shawnee National Forest
The Shawnee National Forest is a United States National Forest located in the Ozark and Shawnee Hills of Southern Illinois, United States. Administered by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, it consists of approximately 280,000 acres (1,100 km²) ...
. Originally completed in 1963, the cross itself stands 111 feet tall, is 22 feet square at the base, 16 feet square at the top and its arms extend 63 feet horizontally. The exterior white panels covering the cross are 4-inch architectural flat insulated metal panels while the base portion is covered in granite approximately 4-inches thick. The structure sits on a foundation of 730 tons of reinforced concrete that goes down 20 feet to bedrock. The steel framework weighs approximately 170 tons. Each of the four sides of the cross have a word inscribed into the granite: Peace, Hope, Faith, Charity.
Bald Knob Mountain was first suggested as an excellent site for a sunrise
Easter
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
service by
Wayman Presley and Rev. William Lirely after the 1936 Easter service. The first such service was held in 1937, with 250 attendees, and has been held annually since. From 1984 to 1986 there was a
Passion Play held in conjunction with the Easter service.
After the site was acquired, the Cross was built in stages with money from various fundraisers, the most famous of which was that of Myrta Clutts.
Flight students from
Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University is a system of public universities in the southern region of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its headquarters is in Carbondale, Illinois.
Board of trustees
The university is governed by the nine member SIU Board of Tr ...
often use the cross as a landmark because it is visible from such a great distance.
In 2006, a legal dispute arose among the Board Members of the Cross. A two-year court battle ensued. All members of the organization were banned by court order from access to the grounds. During the legal wrangling, several community members formed the Friends of the Cross organization to raise funds for the eventual restoration of the Cross, which was falling into gross disrepair.
The litigation was resolved on Christmas Eve, 2008, when all sides in the dispute signed an agreement to drop all charges and submit their own resignations from the Board of Directors if the court would delegate leadership of the organization to a two-year Transitional Board of Directors, made up mostly from Pastors in various communities and counties in the region. The Transitional Board met for their first meeting on Friday, January 16, 2009, when they elected officers.
The Board placed the organization back on firm legal and financial footing, and a group called Friends of the Cross raised funds to totally restore the cross. Many improvements have since been made to the grounds, remodeling a welcome center/gift shop, adding an observation deck, along with other amenities.
The Bald Knob Cross adjoins the
Bald Knob Wilderness The Bald Knob Wilderness is a 5,973-acre (24.2 km²) parcel of land listed as a Wilderness Area of the United States. It is, by acreage, the second largest wilderness area located within the U.S. state of Illinois. It is located within the Sha ...
, a federally designated U.S.
wilderness area
Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...
covering the western slope of the mountain which the cross surmounts.
References
External links
Bald Knob Cross
{{Coord, 37.551959, N, 89.346429, W, type:landmark, name=Bald Knob Cross
Monumental crosses in the United States
Monuments and memorials in Illinois
Buildings and structures completed in 1963
1963 establishments in Illinois
Buildings and structures in Union County, Illinois