He later owned and operated a plantation in Mississippi, hoping to influence his neighbors by treating his slave humanely.

When Hamilton died in 1834, he left $4000 for the construction of a free and integrated public school.

The marble monument, erected in front of the school the same year, is currently maintained by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

The Otter Creek Historical Society took control of the building in 1982; however, the school has suffered from poor maintenance since then due to insufficient funding.

The school's roof has wide eaves with decorative brackets and is topped by a cupola.