Jefferson County Historical Village
Constructed in 1995 with funds donated by Carl Lincoln Schweinfurth, the museum houses the Historical Society's collections and memorabilia.
The Jefferson County Historical Village also includes . . .
Welcome Cabin and Gift Shop—Erected in 1991, the cabin combines the best logs from two Jefferson County cabins, the Correll Cabin (1880 Rome Township) and the Etheridge Cabin (1898 Mt. Vernon Township, Hosea Etheridge).
Koy Cabin—Moved to the Village intact in 1991, the Koy Cabin was owned by August Koy, Casner Township, 1889. It houses a collection of cooking stoves from the late 19th century through the early 20th century
Clifton Cabin—This 1865 cabin owned by Thomas Clifton in Mt. Vernon Township; moved to the village in 1991.
East Hickory Hill School—Originally located west of Bluford, the 1919 school was moved to the Village intact.
City Calaboose—The former Mt. Vernon jail was donated to the Jefferson County Historical Society in the 1980s and was moved to village. The 1820 structure was originally located at 11th and Main Streets at the present Fire Department's location.
Mt. Olive Church—Built by John and Howard Gentle (1873), the church was located southeast of Bluford, Illinois and was moved to the Village ca. 1992.
Blacksmith Forge—Mt. Vernon resident Bill Steffy constructed this replica of the Thomas Atkins Blacksmith Shop in 1993. The former Atkins Blacksmith Shop was located in Waltonville, Illinois. Many of the contents of the Blacksmith Shop are from the Thomas Atkins Shop. The shop is also the home of the Illinois Valley Blacksmith Association, which meets here on the 2nd Saturday of each month. For further information contact our office.
Jeffersonian Print Shop—This operating print shop, erected on the grounds in 1991, houses presses, type and other equipment used from the mid-19th century until the 1950s, or in some shops until the present.
General Store—The General Store is a replica of a store operated by James T. Johnson in east Mt. Vernon in the 1920's. It was purchased from local historian Tom Puckett and was moved to the village. Johnson was Puckett's great-grandfather.
Medical Building—The building was constructed of the best logs salvaged from two cabins donated by the Hays and Marteeny families of Jefferson County.
Open from the first weekend in May through the last weekend in October.
Saturday 10am to 4pm
Sunday 1pm to 4pm
Admission is free. (Donations accepted)
A majority of the buildings are handicapped accessible
Guided weekday tours of the village are available. Tours must be scheduled in advance.
Jefferson County Historical Society is a non-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible.