1820 Colonel Benjamin Stephenson House, Edwardsville

About 1820 Colonel Benjamin Stephenson House

The 1820 Colonel Benjamin Stephenson House museum in Edwardsville explores the region's early history and the legacy of enslavement in Colonel Benjamin Stephenson's household. Visitors take guided tours of the historic house built in 1820, an important landmark linking Edwardsville to the earliest days of Illinois. The museum's exhibits and programs focus on telling an honest history of human bondage and indentured servitude in the area, examining the struggles for equality that shaped the community and state. Docent-led tours discuss local and Stephenson family history, the period architecture, and domestic life in early Illinois. The grounds operate as a pollinator pathway, supporting habitats for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Group tours of ten or more are available by arrangement.