What Is Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park?
This collection of French houses tells the story of Missouri’s oldest permanent European settlement west of the Mississippi!
What Makes It Historical?
The rich soil along the Mississippi River drew French Canadian settlers here in 1751 to grow their crops in a place they called Le Grand Champ! Naming their new ville Sainte Geneviève after the patroness of Paris, they also developed a thriving mining industry, using their spot on the river to ship out huge amounts of salt and lead! Then international affairs put Ste. Geneviève in a sticky spot, because in 1762, as France was about to lose the Seven Years’ War, they ceded all of their land west of the Mississippi, including this town, to Spain!
This led to some mixing of cultures into a uniquely Creole style, which carried over into the relocating of the town after a big flood in 1785! The buildngs from this second Ste. Geneviève, the largest concentraton of poteaux-en-terre houses left in the US, are the focal point of the national historical park today! Spanish rule only lasted fifteen years, before France re-took this territory, then sold it off to Thomas Jefferson in 1803! From there, the architecture changed dramatically with American and German influences, making the architecture Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park a highy unique tapestry of the cultures that passed through here!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer at Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park!
- Become a member of the Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Geneviève!
- Be a responsible visitor! Remember the old adages: Pack out what you pack in! Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints!
How Do I Get There?
66 South Main Street
Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit the Park?
The visitor center is open daily from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM, except on federal holidays!
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