THERE IS A HOME IN ELLIS GROVE THAT MAYBE BETTER KNOWN IN THE FRENCH SPEAKING
WORLD THAN IN ILLINOIS.
IT WAS BUILT BY PEE PIERRE
MENARD, OUR STATE'S FIRST
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.
HE WAS KIND OF IN THE BUSINESS
OF BEING IN BUSINESS, BUT HE WAS
PRINCIPALLY INVOLVED IN THE FUR
TRADE.
HE ESTABLISHED A FERRY ACROSS
THE RIVER.
HE HAD THE CONCESSION TO MAKE IT
ACROSS THE RIVER ARE.
HE WAS THE LARGEST LANDOWNER,
LAND SPECULATOR AS EVER, AND OUR
FIRST LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.
THIS IS THE LAST STRUCTURE IN
ITS ORIGINAL POSITION.
IT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE STATE
BY THEM COMING IN.
THIS WAS STARTED IN 1815 AND
COMPLETED AT 1818 AT THE TIME OF
INCORPORATION OF THE STATE.
THE HOME IS WHAT IS CALLED A
FRENCH CREOLE STYLE OF
ARCHITECTURE.
IT HAS A LIMESTONE FOUNDATION.
WE KNOW PART OF IT WAS USED AS
ASSAULT CELLAR.
IT HAS A LARGE GALLERY, EIGHT
FOOT WIDE GALLERY ON THE HOME
THAT EXTENDS AROUND THREE SIDES
OF IT.
IT IS MORE THAN A PORCH.
THE FRENCH WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF
IT AS A ROOM IN ITSELF.
IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN MEALS OUT
HERE.
THEY WOULD HAVE EVEN SLEPT OUT
HERE IN GOOD WEATHER.
THIS, YES, IS PROBABLY ABOUT THE
MOST LAVISH HOUSE IN ILLINOIS IN
1818 AT THE TIME OF STATEHOOD.
I LIKE TO TELL PEOPLE WHEN I
STARTED TOUR THAT WHEN MENARD
WAS LIVING HERE WITH HIS FAMILY,
ABRAHAM LINCOLN WAS LIVING IN
INDIANA IN A THREE-SIDED CABIN
THE SIZE OF MENARD'S PARLOR.
>>WE ARE FORTUNATE WITH THIS
HOME BECAUSE THIS HOUSE HAS
QUITE A BIT OF ORIGINAL
FURNITURE. ALL THE FURNISHINGS
IN THE HOME ARE PERIOD, BUT WE
HAVE TWO OF HIS DESKS, HIS
ACCOUNTS DESK AND FOLDING DESK
HE PROBABLY TOOK WITH HIM WHEN
HE WENT UP RIVER, UP THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO GO O TO THE
CHIEF.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF BOOKS THAT
BELONG TO THE FAMILY.
WE HAVE THE FAMILY BIBLE FROM
1757.
WE HAVE HIS FRENCH-ENGLISH
DICTIONARY.
WE HAVE BOOKS ON MATHEMATICS.
WE HAVE HIS WIFE'S COPY OF
"LIVING."
WE HAVE A LARGE ARMOIRE IN THE
PARLOR.
>>BACK IN THOSE DAYS THEY DID
NOT HAVE CLOSETS.
THEY USED THESE LARGE ARMOIRE.
HOUSES WERE TAXED ON THE NUMBER
OF ROOMS.
WE HAVE ASIDE BOARD IN HIS
PARLOR THAT WAS AN AC WITH WHICH
CIRCUMSTANCE BY THE HISTORIC
PRESERVATION AGENCY THAT WAS
OWNED BY GOVERNOR BOND.
THE KITCHEN IS SEPARATED FROM
THE HOME BECAUSE OF THEIR
CONCERN OVER FIRE. WE NOW HAVE
A ROOFED BREEZEWAY BETWEEN THE
HOME AND KITCHEN, BUT THAT WAS
LATER ADDITION.
THAT WASN'T HERE WHEN THE
MENARD'S LIVED HERE.
THE KITCHEN HAS A WET SINK WHICH
IS VERY UNUSUAL FOR THAT PERIOD.
IT IS VERY LARGE KITCHEN FOR
THAT PERIOD.
HE WAS ON THE GREETING COMMITTEE
FOR LA FAYETTE WHEN HE CAME ON
OT 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR OF THE
AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY.
MENARD WAS FRENCH SPEAKING AND
MOST PROMINENT FRENCH SPEAKING
CITIZEN IN THE COUNTRY AT THAT
TIME.
LOCAL TRADITION HAS IT THAT LA
FAYETTE ACTUALLY CAME TO THE
HOME AND WAS ENTERTAINED HERE.
WE DON'T KNOW -- WE KNOW HIS
SECRETARY ACTUALLY DID COME TO
THE HOME AND DESCRIBED THE
MENARD HOUSEHOLD AT THAT TIME.
IT IS A SUPERB EXAMPLE, AND PROBABLY THE NORTHERN MOST EXAMPLE OF CREOLE ARCHITECTURE,
AND ASSOCIATED WITH PIERRE
MENARD.
WHEN YOU WERE STANDING IN THE
MAIN STREET OF ILLINOIS' FIRST
CAPITOL CAPITAL, YOU WOULD LOOK
ACROSS THE RIVER AT THIS
ENORMOUS WHITE HOUSE THE HOME OF
THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PIERRE MENARD, 618-59-3031 OR VISIT ILLINOIS HISTORICAL
PRESERVATION AGENCY'S HOME PAGE
AT WWW.ILLINOISHISTORY.GOV.