The Hampton Historical Society

The Hampton Historical Society &
Brettun & Black Museum

The Hampton Historical Society was founded in 1974 to collect, preserve, and present the history of Hampton, Illinois and its environs.  The Society is a non-profit educational organization.  It operates under a volunteer board of nine directors and four officers.  The board is elected by Society members.

A primary focus of the Society is the preservation of the historic Brettun & Black building which serves as its museum.  The two-story brick building was constructed in 1849 as the Brettun & Black Store.  The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 Saranus Brettun and Francis Black operated a thriving mercantile store where farmers traded agricultural products such as pork and grain for manufactured goods and supplies such as flour, salt, and molasses.  During its first twenty-five years, the business was a port of call for steamboats on the Mississippi River which transported goods and commodities to and from the store.

In addition to operating the Brettun & Black Museum, the Society sponsors an annual Memorial Day ceremony, the Hampton Market craft fair, and the fall Apple Festival. Click the Edit link to make changes to this page or add another page.