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print out this page and take with you on your tour. |
Log Cabin
at Tower Court Park |
1. We
begin our tour at Tower Court Park at Florissant Road and St.
Catherine-Washington where you will see a small log cabin which
will remind you of how the early settlers cleared the land and
built their homes of logs. For a hundred years or more they depended
on their canoes, horses and their feet for transportation. In
1878, the West End Narrow Gauge Railroad reached Florissant and
its depot stands today (2.). |
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3. Walking
north on Brown Street and turning left on rue Saint Francois
we pass the Government Center, City Hall and the Victorian Peters
House circa 1912 across the street.
On the right
we pass the Douglas House, circa 1878. It has a Mansard roof
of Second Empire style but its arched windows and sidelighted
front entrance and denticulated cornice lend a Missouri German
feeling too.
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Narrow Gauge
Railroad Station |
Victorian
Peters House |
4.
On the right in the next block is the Castello House circa 1820.
The frame addition was made in 1909. The land was bought (the
price included 100 shaved deer skins) from Antoine Riviere who
drove Madame Chouteau's ox cart when she came to St. Louis to
join Laclede.
5. On
the right at the intersection of rue St. Francois and Lafayette
is the Citizens Bank Building, 1905 and next to it is a 1907
commercial building.
Across the
street on the corner is the Wiethaupt store, circa 1880. It
is Missouri German style. The second story was added a few years
later.
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6. On
the same side of the street is the Union Church, the first Protestand
church in Florissant, circ 1895. Next to is it a 1905 early
commercial vernacular building.
7. At
the intersection of rue St. Francois and Jefferson is the second
city hall building which was constructed in 1955. Behind it
is the first city hall which was built in 1870. It has Romanesque
Revival features, round arched windows and denticulated cornice.
An addition for the fire department was made in 1919 with later
addition to the rear.
Across the
street on Jefferson is a 1904 Missouri German brick structure.
|
Union Church |
Missouri
Mercantile |
8.
Continuing down St. Francois, we pass a 1950 strip shopping
center under whose parking lot a spring that provided water
for early settlers still flows.
9.
On the northeast corner of St. Francois and rue St. Pierre is
an 1885 building which was a combination store and living quarters
which is now Missouri Mercantile.
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10.
Across St. Pierre on the same side of the street is the old
Weidinger's Saloon (now Bunker's), 1900, with adjoining residence.
Across the street is the DeLisle Building, 1880, originally
a saloon to serve passengers traveling on the Narrow Gauge
Railroad.
At 115
rue St. Francois is probably the oldest commercial building
still standing, circa 1867.
|
Bunker's
Saloon |
St. Ferdinand
Shrine |
11.
Continuing down the street we come to the Old St. Ferdinand's
Shrine. The convent wing on the right was built in 1819 and is
an excellent example of the Federal style of architecture. The
church was built in 1820-21. The rectory on the left was added
to the church in 1840 and the separate school dates back to 1888.
It was the home of Saint Philippine Rose Duchesne and is the oldes
Catholic church building between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi
River. To the right of the church is the Coldwater Commons. Coldwater
Creek is in back of the church and it was on this stream that
the original settlement was made. |
| 12.
Retracting our steps to rue Saint Charles we pass the Girardier
House circa 1870. While several additions have been made, the
front portion of the house is a typical version of the early Missouri
French houses in Florissant. |
Girardier
House |
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13.
Continuing down St. Charles we come to the Spanish Land Grant
Park. This was the site of the first log church which burned
in 1836. The Spanish Government made a grant to the villages
of the square block for a church, burial and parade ground.
Some of Florissants pioneers lie buried here in unmarked graves.
Our
tour ends here but there are many historic buildings that could
not be included. There are 124 buildings listed on the National
Register nomination which covers 156 blocks.
For
more information about our walking tour, please contact:
Florissant
Old Town Partners
601 rue St. Charles
Florissant, MO 63031
314-839-0033
email: oldtownpartners@sbcglobal.net
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