Historic Elsah Foundation

Thursday, November 12, at 7 p.m. at Farley Music Hall, 34 Mill Street, Elsah, a lecture will be presented by John C. Guenther.

Perched high atop the bluffs of the Mississippi River north of Alton is a remarkable little structure referred to as “the Tea House” by locals and “the Lodge” by its architect, Preston J. Bradshaw. Bradshaw designed the Lodge for Charles Levis of Owens-Illinois Glass Company in 1934, and it shares many characteristics with buildings designed by Bernard Maybeck for Principia College. St. Louis architect John Guenther, who has designed and planned various buildings on the campus of Principia College since 1995, will discuss the architectural design, materials, colors and textures of this bluff-top pavilion just visible from the River Road, along with the history of the Levis family and Illinois Glass Works, Le Vista, and the various architects and planners who contributed their designs to this magnificent blufftop estate, as he “connects the dots” of history.

This talk will also be broadcast virtually. You may attend if you register.

This presentation is one of this year’s Hosmer-Williams Lectures sponsored by Historic Elsah Foundation and underwritten by Liberty Bank: A United Community Bank. Historic Elsah Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to historic preservation and education in the Village of Elsah.

Photo credit: John C. Guenther, FAIA, LEED AP

Thursday, September 17, at 7 p.m. at Farley Music Hall, 34 Mill Street, Elsah, a lecture was presented on Frederick Oakes Sylvester, by Dr. Julie Dunn-Morton, Curator Emerita of Art for the Mercantile Library of St. Louis on the UMSL campus. Dunn-Morton served on the Mercantile Library staff for over two decades.

Frederick Oakes Sylvester was an important local and regional artist for the Mississippi River setting in the St. Louis area. His work has been exhibited locally and nationally, including the at the St. Louis Art Museum. Principia College, where Sylvester taught for many years, has a major Sylvester collection.

This lecture was also virtually presented. You may view a recording.

The Hosmer-Williams Lecture Series is a major contribution of Historic Elsah Foundation to the understanding of local history. The Series is underwritten, in part, by Liberty Bank of Alton, Illinois, by anonymous donors, and by the membership of Historic Elsah Foundation.

June 18, 2026, at 7 p.m., Historic Elsah Foundation presents Architect John C. Guenther, FAIA, LEED AP. Mr. Guenther has taught at Washington University, St. Louis, and serves as president of the Society of Architectural Historians, St. Louis Chapter. He has written about The Gateway Arch and Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. Mr. Guenther also designed buildings at Principia College in Elsah, continuing the tradition and theme presented by the original architect in the 1930s, Bernard Maybeck. The presentation will be at Farley Music Hall, 37 Mill Street, in Elsah. Refreshments will be served.

This talk is also virtual. Please register if you wish to attend virtually.

This presentation is one of this year’s Hosmer-Williams Lectures sponsored by Historic Elsah Foundation and underwritten by Liberty Bank: A United Community Bank. Historic Elsah Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to historic preservation and education in the Village of Elsah.

May 14, 2026, at 7 p.m., Historic Elsah Foundation presented Bill Egan, who will shared his expertise on Cahokia Mounds. Egan is from Collinsville, Illinois. He served in the United States Air Force in Vietnam. After a career in industrial battery sales, Egan began volunteering at Cahokia Mounds Historic Site. He was recognized as Outstanding Volunteer of the Year in 2021. The presentation was held at Farley Music Hall, 37 Mill Street, in Elsah.

This presentation was one of this year’s Hosmer-Williams Lectures sponsored by Historic Elsah Foundation and underwritten by Liberty Bank: A United Community Bank.

Historic Elsah Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to historic preservation and education in the Village of Elsah.

The 2026 Historic Elsah Museum Competition and Exhibit is excited to announce the following Photographers have had photographs accepted into Elsah’s 2026 Photography Exhibit.

Discover this year’s photography exhibit participants, and find all the event details here.