Louis Bolduc House facts for kids
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Louis Bolduc House
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U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
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Louis Bolduc Historic House
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | 123 S. Main St., Ste. Genevieve, Missouri |
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| Built | 1788 |
| Architectural style | French Colonial |
| Part of | Ste. Genevieve Historic District (ID66000892) |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000305 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 16, 1969 |
| Designated NHL | April 15, 1970 |
| Designated NHLDCP | October 15, 1966 |
The Louis Bolduc House, also known as Maison Bolduc, is a really old house in Ste. Geneviève, Missouri. Today, it's a historic house museum where you can learn about the past. This house is a great example of a special building style called poteaux sur solle. This means "posts on sill" and was common in early French homes.
The house is in the first European town in what is now Missouri. It was the first old building in Ste. Genevieve to be carefully brought back to its original look. The Bolduc House shows us what traditional French Colonial architecture was like in the early 1700s in North America. Because it's so important, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1970.
Contents
The Story of Ste. Genevieve and the Bolduc House
Ste. Genevieve was started in the mid-1700s by French-Canadian settlers. Most of these people moved from villages on the east side of the Mississippi River. One of these villages was Prairie du Rocher, Illinois.
The Mississippi River often flooded the old town. A very bad flood happened in 1785. Because of this, the settlers decided to move. They chose a higher spot, further away from the river.
Building a New Home in the New Town
In 1792, Louis Bolduc built his house in this new village. He was a successful merchant and trader. He also owned lead mines to the west. His new house was about three miles north of the old town site.
The first part of the house was a large "keeping room." This room was about 26 feet by 27 feet. The family did most of their daily activities here. It had a big fireplace at one end. The floor was made of wide, flat logs called puncheon. These logs were flat on one side and curved on the bottom. The attic above this room was used to store lead, corn, and other goods.
In 1793, Mr. Bolduc added more to the house. He built a wide hallway and a large sleeping room. This sleeping room was also about 26 feet by 27 feet. Historians think this room had two small, private sleeping areas. One was for him and his wife. The other was shared by their three children. Bolduc also put tall windows with glass in both big rooms. This showed that he was a wealthy man.
How the House Was Built
The walls of the house were made with heavy oak timbers. These timbers were placed about six inches apart. The spaces between them were filled with bousillage. This was a mix of mud, straw, and horsehair. It hardened like cement. Sometimes other animal or even human hair was added to the mix. Diagonal timbers were also used on each supporting wall. These helped make the house very strong.
The roof was very steep and made of cedar shakes. It was held up by strong, hand-carved Norman trusses. These trusses were joined together using a special method called mortise and tenon. The roof extends over the porches on all four sides. This design helped keep the house cool and shady.
The house is surrounded by a reconstructed fence. This type of fence was common back then. It helped keep out farm animals that roamed freely. Gardens have also been rebuilt on the property.
The Bolduc House Today
The Bolduc family owned the house until the 1940s. Today, it is a historic house museum. It is filled with furniture and items from the time period. Only three items originally belonged to the Bolduc family.
Since 1949, The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in Missouri has owned and run the property. The house was carefully restored in 1956–1957. Dr. Ernest Allen Connally, an expert in old buildings, led this work. If you look at old photos, you can see how the house was changed over time. The restoration brought it back to its original colonial style.
In 1970, the house was named a National Historic Landmark. It is also part of the Ste. Genevieve Historic District. This district also has National Historic Landmark status.
Photos of the Bolduc House
Recent
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Front view, showing the "posts-on-sill" building style and bousillage infill.
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A model of the Bolduc House, showing the diagonal framing timbers.
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A view of the typical stockade fence, and the side and front of the house.
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The garden area of the property, showing the detached kitchen and the back of the house.
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The reconstructed kitchen building behind the house.
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A view of the back of the house and the detached kitchen.
Archival
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A photo from the 1930s or 1940s showing the front of the house.
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A 1936 photo of the front and side of the house.
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The Norman truss parts in the attic of the Bolduc House.
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A bedroom that has been restored to look like it did originally.
See also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Missouri
- List of the oldest buildings in Missouri
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri
