The Cohen Memorial Home offers a beautiful glimpse into the past as it sits atop a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in Chester. It’s a gorgeous Victorian house built in 1855 and purchased by William Cohen in 1886. His descendants would live in the house until 1983.  Since then, it’s been owned by the City of Chester.  The structure’s most well known features are its blue storm windows, which are quite unusual and made it a landmark to travelers on the river. Mark Twain referred to it as “the house with the blue windows.”

Nowadays, the Cohen Memorial Home is a popular venue for local events such as weddings, showers, meetings, and family gatherings.  The upstairs bedrooms are interesting time capsules. They contain furnishings from many historical families in Chester, including the Cohen family. Tours of the home are available by appointment. A volunteer will guide you around the house and grounds and share tales of the home and its contents.  Visiting the home is a way to experience local history in a truly intimate way that will bring you closer to generations of people in Chester.