Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum |
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| 12 Hancock Ave St. Louis, Missouri 63125 www.jbtelmuseum.org |
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Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum
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| Type | Quartermaster Plan 115 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1896 |
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Jefferson Barracks Historic District
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| NRHP reference No. | 72001492 |
| Added to NRHP | February 1, 1972 |
The Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum is a cool place to visit! It's located at 12 Hancock Ave in Lemay, Missouri, near St. Louis, Missouri. The museum is inside the huge 426-acre Jefferson Barracks Historic District. This historic area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The museum building itself is quite old, built in 1896, and it's been carefully restored. You can find it about a 15-minute drive south of downtown St. Louis.
Contents
About the Museum Building
The building where the Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum is located was originally a two-story duplex. It was built using a special design called "Quartermaster Plan 115." This was a standard plan used by the military for buildings. Richard Deutman and Son architects built it. This building is one of only two left from a row of homes called "Officers’ Row." These homes were on the north side of the old parade grounds.
Life on the Parade Ground
The parade ground was a very important part of the military base. Soldiers practiced drills and held ceremonies there. The way the homes were placed around the parade ground showed who was important. Officers, who were higher in rank, lived on the northern side.
Changes Over Time
Over the years, the duplexes got some updates.
- In 1909, electricity was added.
- In 1925, bathrooms were installed.
- In 1938, sunrooms were added to the second floor. The first floor areas below these new rooms were also made bigger.
- The officers and their families moved out of these homes in the mid-1940s.
Restoring the Building
Many dedicated people helped fix up and restore the building. Members of the Telecom Pioneers, a group of telephone company employees who volunteer, spent over 66,500 hours working on it. Their families and friends also helped a lot!
A Look at Jefferson Barracks History
Jefferson Barracks played a big part in the history of the American West. It was a place where troops were trained and sent out. They helped explore the West and protected trade and settlers along the trails. Many important forts in the western United States were started and supplied from Jefferson Barracks.
Building Eras at the Barracks
The buildings at Jefferson Barracks show different periods of military construction:
- Some buildings from the 1850s were used for storing ammunition.
- Many buildings from the 1880s and 1890s were built using standard plans.
- Other buildings were added during the military build-up for World War I and II.
Key Moments in History
During the American Civil War, Jefferson Barracks had one of the largest military hospitals. Doctors there made important progress in treating wounded soldiers. Many "firsts" happened here:
- It was the U.S. Army’s first basic training center.
- The First Dragoons, who were early American cavalry, were formed here.
- The first successful parachute jump from an airplane happened here.
- The first Army Air Corps Technical Training School operated here.
Protecting the Trails
The Barracks also provided the first military escort for merchant trains on the Santa Fe Trail. Troops from here explored and protected people on the Oregon Trail. It was a main supply center for men and supplies during the various Indian Wars.
Famous Leaders Served Here
Many American military heroes served at Jefferson Barracks.
- Early leaders like Thomas Atkinson, Henry Leavenworth, and Henry Dodge served here. They were already famous from the War of 1812.
- Because of its size and importance, many young officers from West Point served here.
- This group included hundreds of future Civil War generals, like Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee.
- Later commanders, such as Guy V. Henry, Walter Krueger, and Walter C. Short, played big roles in the Spanish–American War and World War II.
What You Can See at the Museum
The Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum has an amazing collection of items related to telephones!
Telephone Collections
- You can see many telephones made from the 1900s all the way to the 2000s.
- There's a working Central Office Step Switch, which is a cool old piece of equipment.
- You'll find military telephones used from World War II through the Vietnam War.
- The museum has hundreds of pieces of telephone equipment and tools.
- There's even a telephone pole with climbing gear!
- You can also see lots of telephone-related souvenirs from the 1880s to the 2000s.
- They have a fun variety of novelty telephones.
- There's a special portable switchboard that was set up when U.S. Presidents Carter, Ford, Nixon, and Johnson visited St. Louis.
- You can also see a sculpture of Alexander Graham Bell and learn about how the telephone was invented.
Interactive Learning
The museum is set up for you to explore on your own. It has many hands-on displays that show you how things work. These displays are made to get you interested in engineering and history. Boy Scouts can even use the museum to help with their Inventing and Engineering merit badge! If you have a group of 10 or more, you can schedule a guided tour. Just make sure to book it at least two weeks ahead of time.
