Explore the hidden history of a small French colonial town in Missouri.
Not all colonial towns are found on the East Coast. Some are even found smack dab in the middle of America’s heartland.
Long before there was a United States of America, the hamlet of Ste. Genevieve was born of French-Canadian settlers in what was then French territory. Ste. Genevieve was founded somewhere around 1750. Whatever the date, Ste. Genevieve is definitely the first permanent European settlement in the state of Missouri.
Colonial North America in the early 1700s. This will help a lot.
The area was then known as New France or Upper Louisiana Territory. Ste. Genevieve was settled by French Canadian settlers and their descendants who had been living in Illinois (then known as the Illinois Country) for two or three generations. The east side of the Mississippi River had been settled for years by the French. Across the river from Ste. Genevieve, sat Fort de Chartres, the capital of the area and Kaskaskia, which later became the first capital of Illinois. The need for farmable land was the momentum for settlers to move across the river in an area mostly devoid of a Native American presence.
Illinois Country settlements in 1763 (with modern borders).
In 1762, France was losing the French and Indian War against Britain. France gave Spain all its territory west of the Mississippi River to keep it out of the hands of the British. All of France’s territory east of the Mississippi River went to Britain. The French settlers on the east side of the river were not to happy to be under the rule of King George III. Many fled to French towns west of the Mississippi, including that of Ste. Genevieve which received a large population spike. The Spanish mainly left the local people to their own devices after they moved the regional capital to St. Louis, about 50 mi (80 km) upriver. The residents of Ste. Genevieve retained their local French language, customs and culture, which can still be found in the town today over 250 years later.
Maison Bequette-Ribault, built around 1804. Intriguing isn’t it? The house was owned by the same mixed-race family for generations.
All buildings in Ste. Genevieve date after the great flood of 1785, the oldest surviving believed to have been built in 1790. The town responded to the destructive force of the Mississippi River by moving the entire town from a floodplain next to the river to a location two miles north and a half mile inland. Ste. Genevieve was one of the most prosperous cities in the region. Most villagers owned their own land and produced enough grain to send tons of flour every year south to Lower Louisiana and New Orleans, helping the southern colonies survive.
The 1792 Bauvais-Amoureaux House. This home was built by a wealthy merchant and later owned by his formally enslaved niece, Pelagie Amoureaux.
Ste. Genevieve is known not only for its “first town” status in Missouri, but also for its surviving French colonial architecture from the 18th century. The most intriguing buildings from this period are those built in the “vertical log” style. Large wood posts were dug into the ground (poteaux-en-terrre) or set on foundations (poteaux-sur-solle), supporting the building. The façade of the buildings were finished off with more vertical boards, adding either bousillage (a mixture of mud, straw and horsehair that hardened to a cement like structure) or pierrotage (a mixture of stone and clay) to infill between posts. French homes were much different than the horizontal siding and construction of early log cabins.
A close up look at vertical wooden post interior construction, with bousillage.
Bousillage is right out in the open at the Green Tree Tavern. French homes were normally whitewashed. Green Tree Tavern is probably the oldest building in town, constructed in 1790.
One of the best preserved vertical wooden post houses is the one built by Louis Bolduc. He was a prominent merchant and trader. He became wealthy enough to expand his 1792 home to several rooms and an attic. The house was owned by his descendants until 1940. It was quickly restored and now serves as a lovely house museum furnished with period furniture.
The Louis Bolduc House. Lots in French colonial towns would have been surrounded by a palisade. This kept unwanted roaming animals out of kitchen gardens.
The restored Louis Bolduc House from the backyard. Easier to see the house from this angle.
The interior of the Louis Bolduc House is quite lovely.
Got to love the rustic back porch. Bolduc was wealthy enough to be able to afford glass for his windows, a luxury during this period.
The Bolduc-LeMeilleur House (c. 1820, on left) and the Jean Baptisté Valle House (1794, on right) are great examples of the now prevalent combination of French and American house styles.
After the Louisiana Purchase in 1804, this French colonial town officially became part of the United States. Immigrants with different cultural backgrounds (such as German) began to move into the area. However, Ste. Genevieve was able to hold onto its French culture remarkably well. The town today is an eclectic mix of colonial French and early American architecture. Locals have worked hard to preserve many of these early buildings, so you too may see this remarkable town.
A few more amazing things from Ste. Genevieve:
Felix Vallé House State Historic Site built in 1818.
The Southern Hotel (c. 1805), a 200-year old landmark hotel.
The Old Brick House, said to be the oldest brick house west of the Mississippi, built in 1785. All of that is probably wrong. Being built in 1785 would make it the oldest building in town (which it isn’t) and brick wasn’t used much by the early French settlers.
Ste. Genevieve Memorial Cemetery was established in 1787, making it the oldest cemetery in Missouri.
A bit younger than the rest of the buildings, Ste. Genevieve still had enough French culture around to construct this amazing French-Gothic church in 1876.
Just soak in the pastel Gothic glory of this space.
Little did I know that when I originally first published this post in 2015, that Ste. Genevieve would become my home seven years later. It’s a cute little town with a ton of events, like at least one every weekend it seems. The locals have been a lot of effort into turning the town into a destination. A lot has changed since I first visited, but a lot has stayed the same, in a good way.
Check out my Ste. Genevieve travel guide!
Ste. Genevieve is now a National Historical Park!
