The William Jennings Bryan Birthplace on South Broadway in Salem will be open two Sundays a month beginning this Sunday.
Salem City Councilman and ex-officio member of the Salem Historical Commission Jim Koehler says the Sunday openings are being added due to renewed interest in the home.
“We decided because of the tremendous turnout we had before that we would be open the 2nd and 4th Sundays of every month from 12-3pm because that seemed to be a good time. We had a lot of people say they missed it so now they have an opportunity to come out and we will stay with that so long as there are people that want to come in and we get a good enough crowd to make it worth it for us to be down there and open the house up and invite people in.”
Koehler says for those who haven’t been to the home in recent years, a lot of improvements have been made both inside and out.
“Somebody asked if we are going to open the upstairs, and I don’t believe its cost effective to do that. The stairs are rickety and the upstairs is in not very good condition at all. So we got it pretty well done with some landscaping we want to do and a few other things. And we are getting information from people all over Illinois to add to it that we are running out of room for stuff we have on Bryan.”
The hours on the 2nd and 4th Sundays will be noon to three. Koehler says if those hours are not convenient for you, you can contact Salem City Hall or any historical society member for a special opening. He reports the home is also available for senior pictures or any type of meeting. The only drawback…there is no water or bathroom in the home.
