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Bryant Cottage
146 East Wilson Avenue
Bement, IL
217/678-8184
Open:
March-October, Thur-Sun 9-5 p.m.
November-February, Thur-Sun 9-4 p.m.
NOTE ANDROID USERS ONLY: The donation payment processing function in the Illinois History mobile application for Android devices is currently down. Donations are still being processed through the web site at https://dnrhistoric.illinois.gov/experience/sites.html.We apologize for the inconvenience.
Bryant Cottage was built in 1856 by Francis E. Bryant (1818-1889), a friend and political ally of Senator Stephen A. Douglas. According to Bryant family tradition, on the evening of July 29, 1858, Douglas and Abraham Lincoln conferred in the parlor of this house to plan the famous Lincoln-Douglas Debates. The picturesque one-story, four-room wood frame cottage has been “restored” and is interpreted as an example of a middle-class life in mid-nineteenth-century Illinois. The furniture on display is of the Renaissance Revival style, appropriate for a small-town family of the mid-nineteenth century.
The cottage is accessible to persons with disabilities. The site hosts portions of a variety of locally sponsored events throughout the year.
For more information on Bryant Cottage visit:
www.facebook.com/BryantCottageStateHistoricSite
Accessibility Information
The following are available for the visitor to the site:
- The doorways to the cottage is wheelchair accessible.
- The surface of the sidewalks are brick, stone and poured concrete.
- There are wheelchair ramps available to the office.
- There are no handicap accessible restrooms.
Bryant Cottage State Historic Site has on street parking with a dedicated handicap parking adjacent to the sidewalk and ramp into the cottage. City sidewalks are brick paved and do not provide a smooth walkway. Site sidewalks are 19th century stone and uneven transitioning to a concrete handicap accessible ramp into the cottage.
