First Capitol

07/14/2026

Join us this, Friday, July 17, for our Behind the Scenes tour! This 2 hour tour takes visitors through rooms and buildings usually off limits to visitors. This tour will focus on Bob and Edgar’s private life at Pendarvis from 1935-1970 and how they were able to make a small Cornish cottage into a nationally renowned restaurant.

Click here to book your tickets: https://wihist.org/4ebPmRA

07/09/2026

Thanks to everyone who came out to First Capitol yesterday for a reading of the Declaration of Independence! The reading occurred at the same time as other readings across the country to celebrate the anniversary of the first public reading of the Declaration in Philadelphia.

Our very own Patriot Glenn did a great job delivering the address.

06/12/2026

Don't miss author Mary Elise Antoine's talk this Saturday at 1pm! Mary will be talking about "Residents of 'Wisconsin' in the American Revolution."

In the mid-18th century, the residents of the land now called Wisconsin lived far from the British colonies ranged along the Atlantic Ocean. But whether Native American or Euro-American, these residents were well-informed. When the Thirteen Colonies declared their independence from Great Britain, the residents of the western Great Lakes and upper Mississippi were involved in the resulting conflict. From the invasion of Canada in 1775 to the Battle of Saratoga in 1777 to the attack on St. Louis in 1780, residents of “Wisconsin” were active participants.

Learn who, how, and why these residents were part of the American Revolution and the effects of the Revolution on “Wisconsin.”

06/03/2026

Join us for a talk by author Mary Elise Antoine on “Residents of ‘Wisconsin’ in the American Revolution” at 1 pm. Antoine's talk is part of our America 250 celebration on Saturday, June 13 from 10am to 4pm. We will be having hands on activities and tours all day!

05/30/2026

Happy Birthday, Wisconsin!!!

Watch Pendarvis & First Capitol Site Manager, Bethany Brander, explain the importance of this historic site that helped form our great state! We look forward to seeing you this summer!

BELMONT — Wisconsin will celebrate its 178th birthday on Friday, and the state's political foundations trace back to a small building in this southwestern Wisconsin community where territorial lawmakers gathered

02/18/2026

Do you or someone you know love history? Want to work at a place spanning over a hundred and fifty years of Wisconsin’s history? Are you in the Belmont area?

Apply for a summer job with the Wisconsin Historical Society at First Capitol! Help guide guests through the buildings and grounds and experience first hand all the awesome events put on at the site. Apply online, add your resume with your experience--even if it’s only a little--and we will get in touch with you! No experience necessary! We would be happy to have you!

https://wihist.org/FC

02/09/2026

Are you looking for a job where you get to work with history every day? Stonefield Historic Site is hiring a full-time Facilities Management Specialist. See post for details!

Do you love Stonefield and want to work close with history every day? We are hiring for our Facilities Management Specialist, full-time position. This position performs a wide range of custodial, repair, grounds keeping, restoration, rehabilitation, utility system maintenance, and minor construction activities at Stonefield Historic Site. All applications must be submitted online using the provided link, the position closes on February 23.

https://wihist.org/FMSPosting

12/18/2025

Yesterday First Capitol and Wisconsin Historical Society facilities staff went to the state capitol building to represent the site at the State Building Commission meeting. The Commission approved a $2.6 million restoration project of the First Capitol site.

Project design will continue to move forward through the spring and restoration work will start sometime in early summer 2026. All restoration work will follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

We are grateful to all those who have worked to move this project forward to ensure preservation of this important historical asset in Wisconsin's history! Follow along for more updates as we continue this project.