A Literary Salon at the Weir House

The Madison County Historical Society is stepping into the world of literature with a new program that it hopes will be a recurring event. “A Literary Salon” will be held at the Madison County History Museum in Edwardsville, Illinois, on Tuesday, May 20 at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

At the first program, Emeritus Professor Jeffrey Skoblow will present “Greatest Hits of the Romantic Era.” Skoblow, who taught English Literature at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for 31 years, also has acting credits that will contribute to an entertaining evening. Light refreshments and wine will be served.

Skoblow became a member of the MCHS Board of Directors in 2022. In that capacity, he has organized the annual Family History Walk, where participants walk through an Edwardsville neighborhood meeting past residents. On behalf of MCHS, he also leads an educational program, “Write Your Own Story,” every Thursday at the Main Street Community Center.

The MCHS Literary Salon will be held in the 1836 Weir House (the MCHS museum building) where it is not difficult to imagine similar literary events being held by the Weir family in the 1800s. Literary and musical entertainments were popular at that time in households with the social status enjoyed by the Weir family.

For additional information, call 618-656-7569 or visit the MCHS website at https://madcohistory.org/. The museum is located at 715 N. Main Street, Edwardsville, Illinois. A parking lot and entry to the building are at the back of the building. Reservations are not required.