Taille de Noyer
circa 1790

The historic Taille de Noyer house which houses the Florissant Valley Historical Society and Museum is an elegant antebellum home with stately pillars across the veranda. It is believed to be one of the oldest remaining homes in St. Louis County.

• 1790s

  The oldest section of Taille de Noyer, a two room log cabin, is built by a French trader out of rough hewn logs in a 350 acre walnut grove on the end of the Commons of Florissant and used as a fur trading post.

• 1792

  John Mullanphy and his wife, Elizabeth, come to America from Ireland. They live in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Frankfort, Kentucky, before arriving in St. Louis where Mullanphy opens a store on Second Street and begins acquiring real estate.

• 1805

  Mullanphy purchases the original Taille de Noyer log cabin to be used as his hunting lodge. Mullanphy loved the wilderness and Florissant, which he hoped would be chosen as the seat of Missouri’s government. He offered to build a courthouse for the state offices and legislature. While this offer was rejected, Mullanphy did much for St. Louis, and built the first hospital west of the Mississippi River.

• 1817

  Mullanphy gives the original cabin to his daughter, Jane, and her husband, Charles Chambers, to lure them back from New York after their marriage.

• 1819-1820

  Jane and Charles take up residence and begin expanding the house and furnishing it almost completely with family heirlooms. Mr. and Mrs. Chambers had 17 children, and Taille de Noyer grew with the family until it became a stately mansion of 22 rooms, each with beautiful fireplaces of brick probably made at the site. Another major addition was a summer kitchen near the main house, a favorite gathering place for the Chambers’ sons.

• 1960

  One hundred and forty years of continuous occupancy by heirs of John Mullanphy ends when the property is acquired by the Ferguson-Florissant School District for expansion of McCluer High School. While the summer kitchen and terrace of hand-made brick were sacrificed, the Florissant Historical Society arranged for preservation of the historic home and raised funds to move the structure 200 yards to a new location.

• 1965

  Two bedrooms upstairs and two rooms in the newer wing downstairs are opened to the public in December. A year later two additional bedrooms and a nursery are restored and furnished.

• Today

  Taille de Noyer and the museum are open for tours every Sunday from 1:00-4:00pm or by appointment.