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Laird Cottage/Geneva Mercer Museum

Laird Cottage, built in 1870, is the headquarters of the Marengo County Historical Society and the Geneva Mercer Museum. Dr. Walter Marcellus Laird and Dora Mercer bought the property in 1914, and after Laird’s death in 1918, Dora became a respected figure in the community. The Mercer family also included Geneva Mercer, a prominent sculptor. The cottage was bequeathed to the historical society by Elizabeth Laird, and it serves as a museum to honor the legacy of Geneva Mercer.