Called the “Mount Vernon of Illinois,” the Pierre Menard Home was completed in 1802 for Pierre Menard, a fur trader and entrepreneur who rose to political prominence as the first lieutenant governor of Illinois.  The home is touted as the finest example of French colonial architecture in the central Mississippi Valley.  The Menard Home is built of hand-hewn timbers and secured with wooden pegs.  The grounds include a “post-on-sill” privy, a reconstructed brick smokehouse and a reproduction stone springhouse.  The home includes an entry hall, parlor, dining room, bedrooms, and servants’ quarters.  The kitchen is attached to the house by a stone walkway.  Furnishings include period items with many belonging to the Menard family.

The ground level of his house is now a museum, allowing visitors to get some background information before going to the second floor living quarters. Many activities are held at the home allowing visitors to see and experience the lives of early Illinoisans.