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Saturday 1pm - 4pm Sunday 1pm - 4pm

Peterstown House

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Waterloo, IL
Peterstown House

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Last remaining-intact stage stop along the Kaskaskia-Cahokia Trail and Waterloo's first museum. Monthly meetings are every 3rd Monday of the month.

Constructed from early 1800s to 1830, Peterstown House was built as a stagecoach stop and today it stands as a testament of time and as a tribute to the rich and vibrant history of Waterloo. The building transformed from a stagecoach stop to an apartment building by the 1880s. By 1973, the house was scheduled for demolition but was spared when Alfred Mueller and other citizens of Waterloo formed the Peterstown Heritage Society and purchased the house. The museum opened in 1973 and took years of painstaking work to restore it to what visitors see today. Just by looking at the exterior of the house, it looks like a New England Saltbox, but once you enter, you can see the building was constructed in the French-style. There are nine rooms full of furniture and displays for your viewing pleasure, as well as a large second floor ballroom with many unique displays. The Peterstown House is listed on the National Regsister of Historic Places. Effective August, 2013: Suggested $2.00 donation.

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Peterstown Heritage Society Board Members:

-Andrew Juelfs, President, Docent
-Margaret Kocher, Vice-President
-Curt Sondag, Treasurer
-Lisa Fearing, Secretary

We are always looking for new members to help preserve our rich history!

10/20/2026

The roofing project is moving along! But, what historical restoration goes without surprises? Once the metal roofing was removed, our chimneys had to be removed. Today the front two were rebuilt identically to as they were when they were removed two weeks ago. The back two chimneys will also be rebuilt. The metal roof was removed off the back porch and the summer kitchen as well today.

The Schatte Family Cabin on the back part of our grounds has also been undergoing preservation work for the past several months. We are installing board and batten siding on the exterior. It will eventually be painted in the same colors scheme as the main building. We are having Brava Roofing Tiles installed on it as well.

We always do our best to hire local first. After reaching out multiple times to different local contractors for bids, we are incredibly grateful for one of the most talented Waterloo contractors who actually stepped up to the plate, answered the call and took on this massive project!

10/17/2026

Mind the dust! We are very open during our construction project, from the talented local contractor, Better Homes with Brad Horn!

We've already had a surprise visit from Diana of Arizona! She is the granddaughter of Emil Mueller, a past resident of this building from when it was being used as an apartment house. Emil's parents purchased the old coach stop in the 1880s and rented apartments out. The Mueller Family resided upstairs. Emil's sister, Setta, owned the building until her death in 1973. Their names can be seen written on our walls in the second floor ballroom!

Come on in to hear our history and see the progress being made on the building!

10/14/2026

Join us this Thursday night for free tarot card readings!! The festivities begin at 4 p.m.!

10/07/2026

Out with the old 1980s metal roof!

10/06/2026

We're excited to announce that our building restoration continues this week! The old metal roof is coming off and being replaced with Brava Roofing Tiles, which look identical to real cedar shakes. Drive by soon to check out our progress!

09/26/2026

Autumn is here, but, the summer colors are hanging on! Spend a fall afternoon with us to hear our story!

09/19/2026

Stop by and see us this weekend!

08/01/2026

Can you believe we’ve made it to August?! While we are soaking up the last weeks of summer, life looked a whole lot different for the early pioneers right here in Waterloo back in the 1820s and 1830s. August wasn't about relaxing—it meant preparing to harvest crops, dry and preserve food, and prep for the freezing winter ahead. Shopkeepers like Emory Peter Rogers would have begun putting fall wares on display. More fresh updates to our historical site coming soon!

07/23/2026

Happy "29th" birthday to our president, Andrew! He can keep dreaming, but we know the truth: today we're celebrating the 11th anniversary of his 29th birthday!

We hope you have a great day and don't know what we'd do without you!

07/19/2026

Question: What were people reading in Waterloo over 200 years ago?

Answer: We've got the proof!

We have a fascinating astronomy book from 1799 on display! It’s one of several family treasures passed down from Captain James Moore, the very first settler at La Belle Fontaine (present-day Waterloo).

Grab the family and step into the past—all THREE Waterloo museums are open and your next adventure awaits!

Address

275 N Main Street
Waterloo, IL
62298

Opening Hours

Saturday	1pm - 4pm
Sunday	1pm - 4pm

Website

http://www.peterstownheritagesociety.org/

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