Open:
March-May, Th-Su 9-5 pm
June-Labor Day in September, We-Su 9-5 pm
Post Labor Day in September-October, Th-Su 9-5 pm
November-February, Th-Su 9-4 pm
Bryant
Cottage was built in 1856 by Francis E. Bryant (1818-1889),
a friend and political ally of Senator Stephen A. Douglas.
According to Bryant family tradition, on the evening of
July 29, 1858, Douglas and Abraham Lincoln conferred in
the parlor of this house to plan the famous Lincoln-Douglas
Debates. The picturesque one-story, four-room wood frame
cottage has been “restored” and is interpreted
as an example of a middle-class life in mid-nineteenth-century
Illinois. The furniture on display is of the Renaissance
Revival style, appropriate for a small-town family of the
mid-nineteenth century.
The cottage is accessible to persons with disabilities.
The site hosts portions of a variety of locally sponsored
events throughout the year.
Bryant
Cottage was built in 1856 by Francis E. Bryant (1818-1889),
a friend and political ally of Senator Stephen A. Douglas.
According to Bryant family tradition, on the evening of
July 29, 1858, Douglas and Abraham Lincoln conferred in
the parlor of this house to plan the famous Lincoln-Douglas
Debates. The picturesque one-story, four-room wood frame
cottage has been “restored” and is interpreted
as an example of a middle-class life in mid-nineteenth-century
Illinois. The furniture on display is of the Renaissance
Revival style, appropriate for a small-town family of the
mid-nineteenth century.
