St. Clair County Historical Society, Belleville

About St. Clair County Historical Society

The St. Clair County Historical Society preserves and shares the history of St. Clair County through four historic sites in the Belleville area. Visitors explore the Victorian House Museum and the Daphne Sumner History Discovery Center at Heritage Square in downtown Belleville, where the DSHDC opened in 2024 inside a restored 1909 Queen Anne style house. The center's first floor houses the Roger Schlueter Research Library, featuring books, maps, periodicals, and research materials covering the county's history, along with lectures and educational workshops. The second floor contains artifact conservatories and secure storage where staff and volunteers preserve the Society's collections and create exhibits. Additional sites include the Emma Kunz House, available by appointment, and the Messinger Cemetery with its Civil War veterans memorial. The Society's educational programs and special events inspire students in grades six through twelve to engage with St. Clair County's history dating to 1790, twenty-eight years before Illinois statehood.