The McConnell Mansion Museum

We've come a long way since the Latah County Pioneer Association began collecting history in the 1880s, but our fundamental purpose is unchanged.  LCHS exists to preserve the heritage of Latah County, and put it to use for the benefit of our citizens and communities.  We accomplish these ends with exhibits, educational programs, research facilities, public events, community collaborations, and publications. On a cold, snowy Christmas Eve in 1886, a sleigh pulled up in front of Moscow’s newest and grandest house on the corner of Second and Adams Streets.  The sleigh’s passengers were William and Louisa McConnell and their five children.  Inside, Allen Ramstedt, neighbors, and friends had gathered for a royal house warming. This is a Victorian Gothic home built in 1886 for approximately $6,000, including some furnishings.  It is a mixture of architectural styles, Queen Anne and Eastlake, both characteristic of the late 1800s.  Architecturally, the McConnell Mansion is important since no other home in the Eastlake style has survived in Idaho.  The McConnell Mansion Museum was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November of 1974.