Cottage House Museum (Madison County Historical Society)
Introduction
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The Cottage House Museum is a historic home built by Niles Higinbotham and designed by Alexander Jackson Davis in the Gothic style. It is now the location of the Madison County Historical Society, which is dedicated to preserving the history of the county. The house, which is furnished in the style of the Victorian Era, features both Higinbotham furnishings and Madison County artifacts. There are two parlors, a formal dining room, library/trophy room, kitchen with butler's pantry, vault, children's room, grandmother's room, and an exhibit room with changing exhibits. A servant's room will soon be an interpreted room. The society also operates the Mary King Genealogical Research Library, in which visitors can look up information about their family history. The house is a state historical site and also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Images
The Cottage House was built in 1850 and has been the location of the Madison County Historical Society since 1934.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
The Madison County Historical Society was founded in 1898 and Mrs. Higinbotham and two of her daughters (she and Niles had three) were among the 64 founding members. The society opened the house to the public in 1934.
Sources
"About MCHS." Madison County Historical Society. Accessed September 16, 2015. http://mchs1900.org/?page_id=37.