Williams, John Siddle, House - Hermitage, Missouri - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

"The John Siddle Williams House (now the Hickory County Museum) is significant as an example of ante-bellum vernacular architecture and as the residence of a prominent early citizen of Hickory County, Missouri.


John S. Williams, born in 1809 or 1810 in Wilson County, Tennessee, moved to Missouri in 1842.2 He quickly assumed a role of public service and played a part in the formation of Hickory County.


He was present at the first meeting of the county court which set up the new county's government in April or May of 1845. He was appointed the county's first sheriff and collector. He served in these posts by appointment for two years and then through election until 1850. He was elected to the Lower House of the Missouri General Assembly in 1852, 1856, and 1860.


His last term ended with the beginning of the Civil War in which he fought for the Confederacy. After the war, in 1867, he moved to Arkansas where he served both in the Lower House of the General Assembly and in the State Senate until his death in 1882.


John Williams' house in Hermitage, Missouri, built in the 1850's, reflects the importance of its owner who was not only a respected public servant and legislator but also a prosperous farmer. John Williams was one of the wealthiest men in Hickory County and his residence is a fine example of the type of dwelling a mid-nineteenth century upper class Missouri farmer could build using only local building materials and labor." - National Register Nomination

The house no serves as the Hickory County Museum and is open at various times throughout the year. Various restoration efforts have been undertaken since the house became the museum in 1976.

Street address: Off U.S. 54 Hermitage, Missouri County / Borough / Parish: Hickory Year listed: 1980 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Person, Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1850-1874 Historic function: Domestic Current function: Recreation and Culture Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.