1121 N. Second Street
St. Charles, MO 63301
(636) 724-2106
Admission and parking are free.
Opened in 2003.
The museum is housed in the 1880 building that housed the Fourth Ward Hook & Ladder Company in the old Frenchtown area of St. Charles. The museum opened in 2003 and two years later the building's facade was reconstructed to its original look.
The Main Exhibit Hall is in the front part of the old fire station.
Thus it is no surprise that the main exhibit in this hall is a rehabbed Hook & Ladder Wagon from 1850.
And a display about early firefighters.
There is also a model of an old-fashioned firehouse.
This 911 Memorial to Firemen is built with materials from Ground Zero in NYC. They were obtained by a St. Charles gentleman and include a piece of a fire truck.
Below are teaching materials used in St. Charles schools in 1945 and 1946.
A display honoring a canonized saint from St. Charles. St. Phillipine Duchesne was canonized in 1888.
A Catholic Sick Call box from the late 1800's.
Behind the main exhibit hall is the Garden room which houses several large artifacts including this antique wine press and crusher de-stemmer.
This hand-powered separator separated the cream from the milk and was used shortly after milking.
This model railroad display has some Frenchtown streets and historic buildings and is one of the larger displays.
These flip charts have displays on the American Car Foundry, various schools, etc.
There are many photos on the walls as part of a Frenchtown architectural display.
This item is fun - advertising yardsticks from the area hung to make a yardstick quilt!
The museum is getting ready for a Witches and Warlocks Night Out and thus they have a large display about the ghosts of Frenchtown.
When you enter the museum you enter through the Research Room where patrons can come and research the area or research family history. The walls of this room have many framed historic pictures.
Also framed is this and another award that the museum has won.
Comments: This museum houses the collection of the late Richard Vinson who dedicated his life to preserving the history of the Frenchtown area. Several other family collections have also been donated to this museum. Interested local business owners Jerry and Dorothy Boshears began the museum after Vinson's death and also rehabbed the firehouse. Jerry was present when we visited the museum. He gave us a tour. One gets the impression that he is very dedicated and most always there!
There are a variety of artifacts and pictures in the museum which makes it interesting. The museum owns many more items than what is on display currently as they do not have a great deal of space. So yes, this is a rotating-display museum though I got the impression that they are not on a strict schedule as they survive on volunteers doing all this work. Their income is from fund-raisers and donations. The museum is open three days a week.
Behind the museum is a restored Santa Fe Railroad Caboose that is available to rent for parties. It also serves as a learning center for children.
The museum is in the Frenchtown Historic District, It was settled by French Canadians. In 1991 the district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places largely due to having the largest concentration of French Colonial style architecture in the Midwest, built 1820-1850.
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