IN THIS ISSUE:  The Fischel family built a dream house near Florissant, and filled it with a major piece of art, before their dreams were shattered.  Their story is told, and their prize painting is now at the St. Louis Art Museum! READ MORE -->>

IN THIS ISSUE: Henke's Tavern has been a fixture in Old Town for many years.  Dennis Shilligo shares its rich history. READ MORE -->>

IN THIS ISSUE: Thousands of Ferguson-Florissant students learned science at the outdoor learning center called Little Creek.  In this issue, read about Little Creek's history as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, and learn why this little piece of land is so very special. READ MORE-->>    

IN THIS ISSUE Lucy Delaney: Her Pursuit of Freedom Our series on slavery ends with the triumphant story of Lucy Delaney, and how some Florissant residents helped her win her freedom. Also, some next steps on the subject from FVHS. (page 4) A Model Farm: Larimore Landmark Was Praised Back in the Day A 19th century article called W. L. Larimore’s North County estate a “model farm.” Today, it is a wedding venue and a great example of historic preservation and adaptive re-use. (page 3) Cody Miller a [...]

Announcing--a new book from FVHS! In the Walnut Grove examines slavery at Taille de Noyer, in Florissant, and in North County. Foreword by Carol Daniel. A must-read on the St. Louis region's history!   On the shelf soon: Gittemeier House 1067 Dunn Road 63031, Old Town Marketplace 525 Rue St. Francois 63031, The Novel Neighbor 7905 Big Bend 63119. Online from FVHS: Send a $21 donation ($16.95 book and $4.05 shipping) Online from Indie Books: https://thenovelneighbor.indielite.org/book/979856 [...]

December 1 is Giving Tuesday; FVHS is Participating The Florissant Valley Historical Society is participating in its first GIVING TUESDAY campaign. Due to COVID, the house has been closed all year. Normally, Taille de Noyer welcomes visitors starting in March. However, COVID has meant staying closed to visitors and cancelling all of our dinners and events. We're using the occasion to focus on our research, publications, online events, and much-needed maintenance work. We need your support! Thank [...]

The Historical Society is very pleased to announce the release of a new book that examines slavery in Florissant and St. Ferdinand Township, as well as the segregation and discrimination experienced by African Americans in the century-plus since.  The book is titled In the Walnut Grove:  A Consideration of the Enslaved People in and around Florissant, Missouri. St. Ferdinand Township had a considerable amount of slavery activity.  It was associated with many of the prominent names in Florissant [...]

The FVHS Board of Directors has approved the creation of a new exhibit on Black History.  This will be a permanent exhibit installed in the Log Room on the main floor.  "We wanted to put the exhibit in one of our primary spaces," said board member Andrew Theising.  "This is important history and is an important part of our mission.  Some of those very logs may have been cut by enslaved hands." The exhibit will consist of six large frames of actual archival material and reproductions of historic [...]

The Florissant Valley Historical Society gratefully acknowledges the generosity of the Florissant Rotary Club.  Rotary provided a much-needed community grant to help with the front façade repairs that have been underway, specifically helping to restore the house’s magnificent columns.  The accompanying photo shows the scaffolding in place. The columns were damaged by weather and weakened gutters.  The column bases were failing and threatened their stability. This summer, with the kind support of [...]

The Florissant Valley Historical Society gratefully acknowledges a major matching grant from the DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION that has helped restore the front facade of Taille de Noyer.  The award was made in the spring and the work commenced in the summer.  We have now completed the project and invite the public to drive by the McCluer High School Campus and see the beautiful work enabled by the D.A.R.  Thank you!