Historic Harkey House & Museum of the Historical Society of Montgomery County

The oldest family dwelling in Hillsboro is the historic Harkey House at 305 S. Broad St. This home was built by Solomon Harkey in 1834 for his growing family and remained in the family until 1906. 

The Harkey House was originally located one block north (where the Hillsboro Fire Department is) and was moved to its present location in 1968 after the owners, the Ivan Lingle family, offered it to the Historical Society of Montgomery County to preserve and use as its headquarters. 

Abraham Lincoln related items in the Society’s possession include the wooden third step from the home of Joseph and Jane Eccles on the southeast corner of Water and Berry strees (one block west of where the Harkey House now stands). Lincoln sat on that step and stretched his long legs while visiting the Eccles and other local friends who knew of his arrival to town. 

Also, the Society owns a pair of scissors that belonged to Abraham's mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, who died when Abe was nine years old. After Nancy's death and prior to coming to Illinois, Thomas Lincoln (Abe's father) had a sale, and Mr. Bowling Green purchased these scissors, which made their wasy to the Society’s collection. A letter in which the writer recalled Lincoln being a visitor to the Harkey family home is with the Society also. 

In early 2023, Historical Society officers decided to return the Harkey House to an actual “period home” representing the years that the Harkey family lived in the house (1834-1906). The small home directly behind the Harkey House is owned by the Society and had provided rental income for many years. Officers voted to make this home into the Montgomery County Museum. 

The structure, which is on the site of the first school in Hillsboro, has hand hewn beams and roof rafters with the bark still attached to the wood. The Montgomery County Museum opened to the public in August 2023 and offers exhibits that are rotated every four months. Historical Society volunteers taff the museum and gift shop from 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday and Saturday.

Location