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Congressional delegation starts bipartisan push to make Ste. Genevieve a National Historic Site

WASHINGTON – A bipartisan effort from the state’s congressional delegation could see Missouri adding a new national park in the near future.

Sens. Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill, along with Rep. Jason Smith, have proposed legislation to establish the Ste. Genevieve National Historic Site and designate it as a unit of the National Park Service.

Blunt
Blunt

“Ste. Genevieve boasts a history older than our nation itself,” Blunt said. “The meticulous care with which it has been preserved allows all of its residents and visitors to experience a taste of colonial life. As a former history teacher, I’m proud to partner with Senator McCaskill and Representative Smith to see that this national treasure is rightly included in our National Park System. Doing so will help ensure that it has the support it needs to be enjoyed by generations to come.”

Earlier this month, the National Park Service released the Ste. Genevieve Special Resource Study, which looked at whether the area met the criteria to become a national park. The study found that the historic district in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri met the criteria for inclusion in the national park system.

It recommended a small park service managed unit and a larger affiliated area of NPS technical assistance, say that would be the “most efficient and effective alternative for preservation and interpretation of Ste. Genevieve’s resources.”

McCaskill also applauded the National Park Service’s efforts and said the historic site would bring more of Missouri’s history to its people.

McCaskill
McCaskill

“The rich history of Ste. Genevieve—one of the oldest European settlements in our state—and its unique character should be preserved for our kids and grandkids,” she said. “The site stands to benefit greatly from the attention and care that the National Park Service will provide, and its inclusion in the National Park System only builds on its status as one of the oldest national historic landmark districts in the country. ”

The site would be Missouri’s seventh national park. While the park service’s study found the area favorable for a park, it needs to be created either through a law passed by Congress or an executive order issued by the president.

Smith

“As the oldest settlement west of the Mississippi Ste. Genevieve is not only a treasure to us here in Southeast Missouri, but also part of our Missouri heritage and early American identity,” said Smith, who represents the area. “I am proud to introduce legislation along with U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt to aid the efforts of local officials and help Ste. Genevieve receive the recognition we all know it deserves.”

The site is considered to be the first European settlement in Missouri. It was originally settled by the French and the National Park Service says it was originally “recognized for the unique concentration of French vertical log architecture” when it was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1960.

While the French architecture allows it to fit National Park Service criteria in one category, it’s settlement by groups after the French expanded the original historic landmark designation and allow it to further meet the national park designation.

“The Ste. Genevieve district is nationally significant under Criterion 4, possessing a large and rare collection of French vernacular vertical log houses,” the park service wrote in its report. “It is also significant under Criterion 1, with architectural resources complemented and enriched by contemporaneous examples of British American and German American architecture that contribute to the compelling historical associations with French exploration and settlement of the interior of the United States in the late 18th and early 19th century and with the American territory that developed following the Louisiana Purchase.”

The study found that compared to similar sites, the Ste. Genevieve area offers “unparalleled” opportunities as a national park.

“Ste. Genevieve clearly offers an unparalleled opportunity to provide public understanding and appreciation of the nationally significant historic district and themes of French settlement, vernacular architecture, and community form as well as farming on the frontier,” the report said. “As a community reflective of these themes, Ste. Genevieve stands alone in terms of the character, quality, quantity, and rarity of its resources, and its combination of resource values, and there are no comparably protected or managed areas.”