The father of several daughters, he wanted to give them a formal, Christian education. To achieve this goal, Godfrey donated thousands of acres and a large sum of money to found Monticello Seminary in 1838. The Benjamin Godfrey Memorial Chapel was built on the campus grounds in 1854. Lewis and Clark Community College is now located on the grounds of what had been Monticello Seminary. Godfrey is comprised of 34 square miles, which makes it the second largest Illinois community in land size.
Visitors can find fields of corn, rolling hillsides dotted with orchards, and scenic river views.
Every September and October the town hosts the Great Godfrey Corn Maze , a giant outdoor maze created from rows of corn.