Tag: National Park Service in Missouri

327 St Marys Rd Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Call us at 573-883-7102 Open seasonally Built around 1792 by Jean-Baptiste St. Gemme Beauvais, the Beauvais-Amoureux Historic House overlooks Ste. Geneviève’s communal agricultural fields, le Grand Champ. Its upright cedar log walls are set directly into the earth in the rare “poteaux-en-terre” or “posts-in-the-earth” architecture method of construction. Heavy, hand-hewn timbers form the Norman truss system which supports the steeply-pitched roof that is reminiscent of early French Canadian architecture. This vertical log home was purchased by Benjamin Amoureux in 1852 and later inherited by his wife Pelagie. Visit Pelagie Amoureux to hear her story. This house is now part of the National Park Service. Tour a display explaining how vertical log buildings were constructed and a large, impressive diorama depicting the village of Ste. Geneviève as it was in 1832!  Free A bit about the house Read more…

June 11, 2022 Felix Valle State Historic Site Merchant and Second Streets Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 573-883-7102 On the second weekend in June, enjoy an evening in the garden of the Felix Valle House at this recreation of a La Veillée, a traditional French Colonial summer social gathering as part of the French Heritage Festival. Featured at the event will be French folk dancing, folk tales, candlelight tours of the home, and refreshments. Read more…

244 St Marys Rd Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Call us at 573-880-7189 The Green Tree Tavern is the oldest verified vertical log building in Ste. Geneviève. Officially dated to 1790 by dendrochronology studies, this “poteau sur sole” (post on sill) vertical log construction was built by the French Canadian Nicolas Janis. This impressive structure has also been used as an inn, a tobacco store, and the first Masonic Lodge in Missouri. The Green Tree is transferring to the Ste. Geneviève National Historic Park. Open seasonally. Read more…

99 South Main Street Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Call us at 573-880-7189 Contact the National Park Service for availability The Jean-Baptiste Vallé House is a large and imposing example of the “poteaux-sure-solle” (post on sill) construction. In the 1850s and 1860s, subsequent owners of the house remodeled it to conform to American tastes. In the 1960s, descendants of Leon Vion, who purchased the property in 1867, restored the house to its pre-1850 appearance. Jean-Baptiste Vallé was the commandant of this area at the time the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory eliminating that French/Spanish position. Built in 1794, this house served as both a government center and home. Today it is operated by the National Park Service and is open when rangers are available. Read more…

Aida Frey from the Chicago area visited Ste. Geneviève on December 29, 2020, making her 345th stop at a national park. Frey is a participant in and a proponent of the NPS Junior Ranger program. Her business card calls her the “Sweetheart of the National Parks.” She posts about her travels on Facebook (Junior Ranger Aida Frey), Twitter (@jrranger) and Instagram (@juniorrangeraida). She also has a written a book, “America, Can I Have Your Autograph?” Frey and her family stopped through Ste. Geneviève during a trip that also included three national trip stops in Texas — Big Bend National Park, Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River, and Fort Davis National Historic Site. The Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park was established as the 422nd unit of the National Park Service on October 30, 2020. There now are 423 national park units.   Read more…