As Missouri’s oldest permanent European settlement, the village of Ste. Geneviève was settled by French Canadians around 1735 on the west bank of the Mississippi River about two miles south of its present location.
The village was one of several important French communities forming a region known as the Illinois Country, part of the vast territory held by France in North America at the time.
In 1763, after the French and Indian War ended, France ceded all of its holdings west of the Mississippi River to Spain. Despite the transfer and new Spanish government in the region, Ste. Geneviève retained its distinctive French character and language.
Much of Historic Ste. Geneviève’s charm and ambiance are due to the remarkable preservation of the original colonial settlement. Its narrow streets and fenced gardens surround some of the most significant eighteenth-century architecture in the nation.
These French Colonial-style buildings were constructed from massive, hand-hewn logs that were set vertically to form the walls…
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