Louis Bolduc House - Ste. Genevieve, Missouri - Pre-Victorian Historic Homes on Waymarking.com

The Louis Bolduc house was originally built in 1770 out near the Mississippi River on the Le Grand Champ field by Louis Bolduc, a Canadian lead miner, merchant and planter. Following the great flood of 1783 the house was disassembled and moved to its present location in 1784.

The house is a great example of the "poteaux sur sole" or "posts on a sill" construction, large oak timbers set vertical with about a 6" spacing on stone foundation. The vertical timbers are in-filled with "bouzillage", a mixture of mud, Spanish moss, straw and animal hair. The roof is held up by a structure of of king post trusses held together with mortise and tenon joinery. The building is surrounded by a heavy log picket fence which was typical for the time of to keep roaming pigs and other animals away from the house.

Louis Bolduc was born in the parish of St. Joachim, Canada, on December 24, 1734, the son of Zacharie Bolduc and Jeanne Meunier. He came to Ste. Genevieve in the 1760s. He was a prosperous lead miner, merchant and planter in early Ste. Genevieve and moved from the original town to the new town in about 1784. He lived in the house until his death in 1815. The house remained in the Bolduc family until the twentieth century and was occupied by Zoe Bolduc in the 1930s. In 1949, its present owners, the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Missouri, acquired it.

The house was completed restored to it 1780's configuration in 1956-1957 with Dr. Ernest A. Connally, at the time was Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Illinois, later became Chief, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, National Park Service. The restoration was based on extensive research to insure authenticity.

The house is now owned and operated as a museum by the The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of Missouri and is open for tours.

Open:
Monday through Saturday, April 1 to Nov 1:
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Closed: Easter Sunday.

~ information from National Register Nomination Forms (individual property and district) and Bolduc House website.

Earliest Recorded Date of Construction: 01/01/1784 Additional Dates of Construction: 1956-1957 House restored to original Architectural Period/Style: French Colonial - Vertical log Type of Building e.g. Country House, Stately Home, Manor: French colonial village house Interesting Historical Facts or Connections: Members of the Bolduc lived in the home until the 1930's Listed Building Status (if applicable): Individually listed as a National Historic Landmark Main Material of Construction: Vertical log framing Private/Public Access: Public Admission Fee (if applicable): 8.00 (listed in local currency) Opening Hours (if applicable): From: 10:00 AM To: 4:00 PM Related Website: [Web Link] Rating: Architect (if known): Not listed Landscape Designer (if known): Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   06/20/2014 AnthemRose visited it