St. Ferdinand's Shrine Historic District
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 38° 47.802 W 090° 20.049
15S E 731517 N 4297592
Historic Catholic Church building dating back to 1821. This church was the center of community life through much of its history.
Waymark Code: WMC0V
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 05/05/2006
Views: 33
"St. Ferdinand's parish was established in 1789 and soon became the community
center. The present church was constructed in 1821 and is believed to be the
oldest Catholic church in the upper Louisiana territory.
Old St. Ferdinand Shrine, with its wings, forms a group of buildings of
unusual historical and architectural importance. The convent wing, built in
1819, is one of the few brick buildings in Missouri of this age and is almost in
its original condition. It is considered one of the best examples in brick of
the Federal style of architecture in the state. All of the buildings have been
listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a cultural inventory of our
nation's irreplaceable resources, and form St. Ferdinand's Shrine Historic
District.
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, one of Missouri's foremost pioneer women,
canonized July 3, 1988, lived in the convent from 1819 to 1827 and again from
1834 to 1840. Here she established the first school in Florissant." ~ St. Louis
Catholic Archdiocese
St. Ferdinand ceased as a parish church in 1955. Old St. Ferdinand Shrine and
Historic Site is owned, preserved, maintained and protected by Friends of Old
St. Ferdinand, Inc., a non-profit organization founded in 1959
The shrine is open for tours on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 pm and 4 pm.
