Ste. Genevieve is home to one of the highest concentrations of distinctive types of French colonial architecture known as poteaux en terre, or post in ground, and Poteaux-sur-sol, or post on sill. Both of these styles involve construction of walls consisting of vertical logs, the former placed directly into the ground, and the latter onto a horizontal sill of wood or stone. Prominent local examples of these architectural styles include the Beauvais-Amoureux House, the Felix Vallé House State Historic Site, La Maison de Guibourd, the Delassus-Kern House, the Louis Bolduc House (itself listed separately as a National Historic Landmark) and Old MillerSwitch Train station was a vital part of History proving supplies and Rest on the Old Railroad.
Map of the U.S. National Heritage Areas. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).
https://www.nps.gov/stge/learn/news.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ste._Genevieve_Historic_District
Ste. Genevieve is home to one of the highest concentrations of distinctive types of French colonial architecture known as poteaux en terre, or post in ground, and Poteaux-sur-sol, or post on sill. Both of these styles involve construction of walls consisting of vertical logs, the former placed directly into the ground, and the latter onto a horizontal sill of wood or stone. Prominent local examples of these architectural styles include the Beauvais-Amoureux House, the Felix Vallé House State Historic Site, La Maison de Guibourd, the Delassus-Kern House, the Louis Bolduc House (itself listed separately as a National Historic Landmark) and Old MillerSwitch Train station was a vital part of History proving supplies and Rest on the Old Railroad.
Established by 1750, Ste. Geneviève was the first permanent European settlement in Missouri. Early French Canadian settlers were drawn here by the rich agricultural land known as Le Grand Champ (the Big Field). After the flood of 1785, the town relocated to its present location on higher ground approximately three miles to the northwest of its original site.
From north of Ste. Genevieve (e.g. St. Louis), take I-55 South to exit 150. Follow MO-32 East for about 4 miles. Turn right on Market Street. From south of Ste. Genevieve (e.g. Cape Girardeau), take I-55 North to exit 150. Follow MO-32 East for about 4 miles. Turn right on Market Street. From southern Illinois, you can also take the Ste. Genevieve - Modoc Ferry across the Mississippi. Please visit http://stegenmodocferry.com/ for hours and rates.
Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park Visitor Center
66 South Main Street Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670 For additional information, call 573-880-7189.
From I-55: Exit 150. Turn east onto Hwy. 32. Travel 4.6 miles to the intersection of Hwy 32 and Hwy 61. Continue straight through stoplight, continue .9 miles to intersection of Fourth and Market. Turn right on Market to enter the Historic District of Ste. Genevieve.
Beauvais-Amoureux House
Frame house made of wood with U.S. and French flags flying on front porch.
Bauvais-Amoureux House
Jean Baptiste Valle House
Cream colored house with a covered porch on a street corner.
Tours are usually offered daily of the Jean Baptiste Valle House.
Green Tree Tavern
A large raised building with a covered porch and vertical log construction visible.
Green Tree Tavern
Jean Baptiste Valle Rose Garden
Flower beds with blooming flowers and a fountain, with a cream-colored house behind.
Take a break in the Jean Baptiste Valle Rose Garden.
Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center
Blue building with a high pitched roof. A sign in front says, "Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center."
Get park and city information at the Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center
French Culture On the Frontier
This Ste. Genevieve culture was unlike anything else in what is now the United States. It is also substantially different from its parent cultures in Canada, Louisiana, and France. As a cultural zone it was unique in terms of law, religion, customs, use of the land, architecture, personal philosophy, slave law, and even in a skewed version of spoken and written French. Read more about how this culture was not like any other.
Language
Like food, language helps define a culture. In Sainte Genevieve it was a melding of cultures. Thus new words came into being. Learn how people and place influence common terms still in use today.
Le Grand Champ
The pattern of land usage, settlement, and agriculture that developed in the middle Mississippi River Valley during the 18th century was unique in North America. The system paralleled the communal agriculture of northern France during the period of the high Middle Ages. Read more about life on the commons.
Uncommon Cuisine On the Mississippi
Cooking in the Illinois country was region-specific and thus unique. It has been described as the art form found nowhere else. Get a little taste of Ste. Genevieve.
La Mode
From simple to sophisticated, clothing on the French frontier was varied and unique as any society can be. Some were even said to be in good taste. Get your sense of fashion on here.
Find Your Park on Route 66
Route 66 and the National Park Service have always had an important historical connection. Route 66 was known as the great road west and after World War II families on vacation took to the road in great numbers to visit the many National Park Service sites in the Southwest and beyond. That connection remains very alive and present today. Take a trip down Route 66 and Find Your Park today!
A paved road with fields in the distance. On the road is a white Oklahoma Route 66 emblem.
Things to Do in Missouri
Things to do and trip ideas in Missouri national parks.
Purple flowers bloom on a grass-covered landscape under a partly cloudy sky.
Series: Things to Do in Midwest National Parks
There is something for everyone in the Midwest. See what makes the Great Plains great. Dip your toes in the continent's inland seas. Learn about Native American heritage and history. Paddle miles of scenic rivers and waterways. Explore the homes of former presidents. From the Civil War to Civil Rights, discover the stories that shape our journey as a nation.
Steep bluff with pink sky above and yellow leaves below.
The NPS Wellness Challenge at Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park
Personal wellness is well within reach. Learn more about the National Park Service Wellness Challenge located at Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park.
A logo with text reading NPS Wellness Challenge over a photo of a log home
Sharing the Mysteries of Mortar
Finding the right recipe to replace crumbling joints in historic buildings can be the key to preserving them. I conducted two recent trainings to show how.
Man holding a hammer and chisel in front of an old brick building
Staff Spotlight: Mykel King
Meet Mykel King, a Park Guide at Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument!
Mykel King in uniform
Podcast 108: Setting up Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park with Chris Collins
Catherine Cooper speaks with Superintendent Chris Collins about the establishment of Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park.
Mural of Riverboat Life at Ste Genevieve National Historical Park