The Cohen Memorial Home offers a beautiful glimpse into the past as it sits atop a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in Chester. It’s a gorgeous Victorian house built in 1855 and purchased by William Cohen in 1886. His descendants would live in the house until 1983. Since then, it’s been owned by the City of Chester. The structure’s most well known features are its blue storm windows, which are quite unusual and made it a landmark to travelers on the river. Mark Twain referred to it as “the house with the blue windows.”
Nowadays, the Cohen Memorial Home is a popular venue for local events such as weddings, showers, meetings, and family gatherings. The upstairs bedrooms are interesting time capsules. They contain furnishings from many historical families in Chester, including the Cohen family. Tours of the home are available by appointment. A volunteer will guide you around the house and grounds and share tales of the home and its contents. Visiting the home is a way to experience local history in a truly intimate way that will bring you closer to generations of people in Chester.
St. Nicholas Landmark, Ferry Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.22 mi (straight line)
Randolph County IL Courthouse, West Taylor Street, Chester, Illinois, USA
Distance: 0.33 mi (straight line)
Frederick Weistar House Historic Site, Chestnut Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.38 mi (straight line)
Chester Welcome Center, 10 Bridge Bypass Rd, Chester, IL 62233, USA
Distance: 0.60 mi (straight line)
Chester Welcome Center, Bridge Bypass Road, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.60 mi (straight line)
Chester Welcome Center, Bridge Bypass Road, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.60 mi (straight line)
217 Opdyke Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.79 mi (straight line)
822 Swanwick St, Chester, IL 62233, USA
Distance: 0.80 mi (straight line)
Spinach Can Collectibles, State Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.86 mi (straight line)
174 MO-51, Perryville, MO 63775, USA
Distance: 0.99 mi (straight line)
Mary's River Covered Bridge, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 4.65 mi (straight line)
Kaskaskia Bell State Historic Site (Liberty Bell of the West), 1st Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 5.12 mi (straight line)
Turkey Bluffs State Fish and Wildlife Area, South Lake Drive, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 5.12 mi (straight line)
203 1st St, Chester, IL 62233
Distance: 5.15 mi (straight line)
Pierre Menard Home State Historic Site, Kaskaskia Street, Ellis Grove, IL, USA
Distance: 6.15 mi (straight line)
4372 Park Rd, Ellis Grove, IL 62241, USA
Distance: 6.59 mi (straight line)
Our bi-weekly newsletter provides news, history, and information for those interested in traveling along along the Lewis & Clark Trail.
