**[Further endorsements and statements of support by owners and
stakeholders]{.underline}**

This material can be added to the material on owner concurrence and
stakeholder support in section G preceding the application itself and
section 9 of the Application.

**[Owner concurrence and Stakeholder support:]{.underline}**

1\. Owner concurrence, for the Holy Family Church. The responsible
Bishop (the Bishop of Belleville Diocese), has been contacted and his
office has responded positively. Follow-up is in process to secure his
statement, but the Bishop is currently away from his post until after
July 5.

2\. Owner concurrence, Bolduc House. The Bolduc house is owned and
operated by the National Society of Colonial Dames of America in the
State of Missouri. The property was acquired by the National Society of
the Colonial Dames in 1948, as a donation to the Missouri Society from
Miss Mary G. Reber.

The previously provided statement from Lorraine Stange represents
concurrence of the most senior Bolduc property official. Agnes Chouteau,
the president of Colonel Dames of Missouri, has also now provided a
letter of support for the application, and signed the owner consent
form. Both are attached.

**[Stakeholder support:]{.underline}**

4\. State Office of Historic Preservation, Department of Natural
Resources, Missouri: attached please find letter of support from Mark
Miles, SHP officer for Missouri. The Department head within Missouri
(Mr. Childers) for whom Mr. Miles works had endorsed and signed the
original application.

5\. State Office of Historic Preservation, Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency, Illinois: attached please find letter of support
from William Wheeler, SHP officer for Illinois.

6\. Missouri Preservation: attached please find a letter of support from
Jeff Brambila, President, Missouri Preservation (state-wide non-profit
organization).

7\. Congressional support: pending. We are working with Missouri
Congressman Russ Carnahan to secure a joint statement from US Senators
Bond (MO), Durbin (IL), McCaskill (MO), and Obama (IL). Contact will
also be made with Illinois Congressman Jerry Costello. This joint
statement of support is expected shortly. Congressman Carnahan has also
provided his own letter of support for this addendum (see attached).

8\. Governors of Illinois and Missouri: At this stage, formal support of
the governors has not been sought.

**[3.d. Integrity and/or Authenticity]{.underline}**

The following sections on authenticity for Fort de Chartres and the
Pierre Menard House, Illinois, and the Felix Valle Historic Site, and
the Bolduc House, Ste Genevieve can be seen as complementary to the
material already supplied in the application document.

**[Notes on authenticity:]{.underline}**

Please note:

1.  Questions raised about the authenticity of various components of the
    nomination have been responded to by seeking research documents and
    opinions from professionals consulted and responsible officials. For
    the properties for which information has been requested, these
    sources have been identified and quoted from to provide primary
    perspectives which are as substantial as possible.

2.  The application form used by the NPS in referring to "authenticity"
    stresses the importance of maintaining the "original". While this
    may be important in many contexts, this has never been a requirement
    of the Operational Guidelines for properties of cultural heritage
    value nominated to the World Heritage List. Authenticity was
    initially (from 1978) understood to reside in the degree to which a
    property's attributes (material, design, workmanship, setting)
    faithfully, credibly, genuinely reflected the defined outstanding
    universal value of the property. Since acceptance of the Nara
    Document (1994) by the World Heritage Committee, the set of
    attributes through which authenticity could be understood has
    expanded to include tradition, use, spirit, and others. This is now
    formally reflected in the 2005 Operational Guidelines. In all cases,
    "original" may be important, if defined outstanding universal value
    points to the importance of the creation phase of a property. But
    where importance lies in the on-going evolution of a property,
    authenticity will lie not in the ability of a property to reflect
    its original forms but to reflect the testimony of successive
    changes and adaptations.

**[Fort de Chartres, Illinois]{.underline}**

**[References and resources:]{.underline}**

Margaret Kimball Brown, noted Illinois historian.

Paula Cross, State Historic Preservation Officer for Illinois, Illinois
Historic Preservation Agency, Preservation Services Division, 1 Old
State Capitol Plaza, Springfield, IL  62701

Darrell Duensing, Site Superintendent, Fort De Chartres.

Carl Ekberg, noted French period historian.

Keene, David J., "Beyond fur trade: the eighteenth century colonial
economy of French North America as seen from Fort de Chartres in the
Illinois country". A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Anthropology)
at the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON 2002.

Price, Anna. *Historic Illinois* . June 1980, vol. 3, no. 1; June 1983,
vol. 6, no. 1.

**[Comments on authenticity:]{.underline}**

Paula Cross provides an overview of the approach followed by the State
of Illinois since acquisition of the site in 1913.

> *"Numerous reconstructions and restoration projects have been
> conducted in the almost 100 years the State has owned the site. We do
> not have a single report reviewing and consolidating all of this work.
> This could be done but not within the time frame afforded for
> responding to the questions and comment posed by the National Park
> Service.  This work was done based on the most current understanding
> of French Colonial forts available to us at the time.  As new
> information became available and the need for restoration was
> required, the work was completed based on the updated information.
>  The basis for the reconstruction/restoration was information from
> historic references (including sources in France, where we sent
> consultant Anna Price to go through the colonial archives) and
> archaeological work done at the Fort.  Certainly, in the absence of a
> comprehensive overview report, we would be happy to provide access to
> our files here in Springfield if needed."*

Carl Ekberg drew our attention to two articles on Fort de Chartres
prepared by Anna Price, both in *Historic Illinois* (June 1980, vol. 3,
no. 1; June 1983, vol. 6, no. 1). These contain some "documentation
about the footprint of the fort, both walls and buildings, and what
restorations have been done on the original stone foundations". 

Margaret Kimball Brown has directed us the "Proces Verbal" covering the
cession of the Fort to the British in 1765, which can be found in
Illinois Historical collections vol. XI, British Series Vol.

II, The New Regime 1765-1767, edited by Clarence Alvord and Clarence
Carter. Illinois State Historical. Library Springfield, 1916. This
contains a very detailed description of the fort at the time of
acquisition by the State Of Illinois. Margaret has also noted that "the
best summary of reconstruction activity can be found in "[Beyond the Fur
Trade: the eighteenth century colonial]{.underline}

[economy of French North America as seen from Fort de Chartres in the
Illinois Country]{.underline}" by David Keene, Ph. D. dissertation,
University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1998.

Margaret briefly summarizes some of the information available in these
various references, and knowledge gained in her own work with the State
of Illinois on this and other sites :

-   *"In 1928, the Museum and custodian's house was built on the
    storehouse foundations.*

-   *In 1936, the Guardhouse was built on foundations adjacent to the
    museum (Keene p.68).*

-   *No plans or drawings from the 18th century have been located for
    Fort de Chartres. The work done on the two buildings above was based
    on designs by Mr. Booton, an historian in the State Architects
    Office for the Dept. of Public Works and Buildings (the agency
    responsible at that time). Research was done by Theodore Pease,
    Bishop Schlarman and Paul Angle. Research was done on the basis of
    building types and these followed precedent elsewhere, notably the
    early restoration work being carried out at Fort Niagara, also a
    stone fort.*

-   *The buildings were constructed on the original foundations and the
    configuration of the rooms follows the original layout. The rooms in
    the guardhouse have been interpreted according to their original
    usage: chapel, priest's room, officer of the day's room and
    guardroom. The storehouse is used as offices and museum.*

-   *In the same period as above, the foundations of the other buildings
    and the fortification wall were exposed and capped with new stone to
    a height of about two feet. (Keene p. 68). At this time the cellars
    of the buildings were also dug out. These foundations, cellars, and
    fireplace bases have remained visible ever since, and have been
    maintained as they were stabilized at the time..*

-   *Beginning in 1972, the State of Illinois began archaeological
    investigations at the Fort in order to provide more accurate
    restoration data. Excavations were done in 1972 and subsequently in
    1974, 1975, 1979-81, and 1985-87. These focused mainly on the Cannon
    or North Bastion and the Powder Magazine Bastion and adjoining
    walls.*

-   *The palisade trench for the interior retaining wall of the
    banquette and drains extending from the interior to the exterior of
    the wall were found. These were previously unknown.*

-   *Work by the Powder Magazine showed that the buttresses were
    original to the structure.*

-   *Trenches dug by the fortification wall revealed portions of the
    original above-ground wall that remained in places, but more
    importantly for reconstruction purposes, the foundation of the wall,
    its depth and thickness. This enabled the determination of the
    original height of the wall, employing an 18th century formula.*

-   *Prior to the reconstruction of the walls, complete excavation was
    done in all areas to be disturbed. (Details of the archaeological
    work are summarized in Chap. 4, of Keene)*

-   *The reconstructed walls were built in the same place as the
    original, but span the old foundation, as the original wall would
    not bear the weight now.*

-   *The Powder Magazine is the only original structure left in the
    Fort. In the late 1990s, plans were developed to restore the Powder
    Magazine to its original appearance. Extensive research was done and
    a report produced: "[Powder Magazine Design: A Report prepared for
    the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency"]{.underline} by
    archaeologist Bruce Fry.*

-   *The top of the Magazine was rounded from loss of stone. The vault
    had deteriorated over the years, but being an arched construction,
    it remained solid. Both research and early drawings indicated that
    the structure would have had a pitched roof initially. There is no
    18th century precedent for the then surviving semicircular design
    (Fry, p. 12).*

-   *Based on this careful research, the restoration of the roof of the
    Powder Magazine was carried out."*

While the World Heritage Committee generally discourages the
inscriptions of reconstructions on the World Heritage List, it should be
noted that the Committee has inscribed many full and partial
reconstructions on the List over the years (including for example the
bridge at Mostar inscribed several years ago, and also the Great Wall of
China, may kilometers of which have been fully reconstructed). Generally
reconstruction may be considered a legitimate form of conservation if
the cautions presented in the Riga Charter (2000, Riga, Latvia,
developed by ICCROM with the support of ICOMOS and the WH Centre) are
followed. These include basing the work on evidence and research,
maintaining surviving original fabric, etc).

The inclusion of Fort de Chartres in this application can be defended on
the following grounds:

-   Its early role as a regional headquarters is an important component
    of the story being presented by the various properties included
    within this serial inscription proposal

-   The fort is a partial reconstruction and includes substantial
    visible surviving historic fabric, including one structure (the
    powder magazine) and many sections of the original walls.

-   Later material added has been carefully presented as distinct from
    original material and also placed on it in ways which will not harm
    the structural integrity of the original, as with the walls, where
    there is a clear separation between later and early fabric.

-   Full reconstruction of buildings has been restricted to those
    structures which could assist with interpretation and which had
    symbolic value in their own right (Museum, Guardhouse, Gateway).
    Otherwise, reconstruction work has been limited to efforts to
    suggest wall lines, and building outlines.

-   Reconstruction work where carried out has been based on extensive
    research in France and at the historical holdings of the University
    of Illinois, archaeological excavation at the Fort, and examination
    of similar typological precedent elsewhere. The near 100 years of
    state ownership have guaranteed a careful and responsible approach
    to research and to reconstruction decisions.

-   Given the distance of time, although restoration decisions made in
    the 20s and 30s are not necessarily as we would make them today (we
    have better access to research and archaeological information, and
    would place less confidence in typologically similar precedent),
    this work represents a highly creditworthy early attempt in the USA
    to envision, plan for and implement reconstruction of a major
    historic site, and is certainly worthy of study in its own right as
    a "model" reconstruction.

**[Pierre Menard House and property, Illinois]{.underline}**

**[References and resources:]{.underline}**

Paula Cross, State Historic Preservation Officer for Illinois, Illinois
Historic Preservation Agency, Preservation Services Division, 1 Old
State Capitol Plaza, Springfield, IL  62701

Carl Ekberg, noted French period historian, June 17, 19, 2007 by e-mail.

Gray, Sid, "An Architectural Investigation of the Pierre Menard House"
Carried out for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, Historic
Sites Division, October 2001. 74 pages.

**[Comments on authenticity:]{.underline}**

Carl Ekberg notes in speaking of the importance and authenticity of the
structure "I have always argued that all things considered\--site,
architecture, condition, historical associations---the Pierre Menard
House is the most important structure in the entire Midwest".

He further elaborates:

> *"The Menard House overlooks the site of old Kaskaskia, and its very
> situation recalls the huge importance of Kaskaskia as the metropole of
> the Upper Louisiana for more than a century, after which it became the
> first capital of the State of Illinois.  The site also reminds us of
> how the geography of the entire region was transformed when the
> Mississippi swept over to occupy the channel of the lower Kaskaskia
> River in the late nineteenth century.  The house itself is the best
> preserved and most elaborate vertical log house in North America
> Although structurally it is local vernacular (i.e. vertical-log
> framing), stylistically it is typical of a French-Creole plantation
> house that might have existed anywhere in the Mississippi River
> valley\--or in the Caribbean.  As for the degree of authenticity and
> state of preservation of the residential complex, I think that it is
> very, very rare to find an original complex\--house, attached kitchen,
> and outlying spring house (hope you looked in it)\--just as it was
> originally.  It remained that way of course because by the time of the
> civil war Kaskaskia was a remote and forgotten backwater." *

 

> *"Pierre Menard was\... the first lieutenant governor of the State of
> Illinois, which reveals how at least part of the regional francophone
> community was being integrated into American ways and American
> politics.  But Menard is also interesting, and significant, because he
> represents a geographical immigration pattern that endured for over a
> century\--French-Canadian men immigrating to the Illinois Country from
> the St. Lawrence Valley to make their fortunes through trade and
> agriculture.  Michel Philippe and Jacques Bourdon are part of this
> typology from the early eighteenth century, François Vallé and Louis
> Bolduc from mid-eighteenth century, and Menard from the end of the
> century.  It was this immigration pattern that, pure and simply,
> created the first white civilization in the upper Mississippi
> Valley. *
>
> * *

Paula Cross of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, Preservation
Services Division notes that   

> *"The State of Illinois has owned the Pierre Menard Home since 1929. 
> Restoration work by State of Illinois has focused on replacement of
> deteriorated original structural components and finishes with material
> which replicated the original materials.  Essentially, the home has
> had some restoration work carried out to reverse any changes done
> during the period of ownership between the Menard family and the State
> of Illinois, to ensure its historical integrity. The Pierre Menard
> house survives today as an accurate representation of the house
> originally built in the early 19 ^th^ century.  Since its restoration,
> beginning in the early 1930's, the building has been well maintained
> by the State of Illinois."*

Paula Cross estimates that even with the restoration work done by the
State of Illinois, 80-90% of the home is original. 

Restoration architect Sid Gray in his 2001 report prepared for the State
Historic Preservation Officer for Illinois, Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency, Preservation Services Division notes the following:

> *"This building appears to have maintained its overall form, floor
> plan and architectural character since the time of its original period
> of construction.  Although much work has been performed on the
> building during the State of Illinois's ownership, it appears that at
> the time of their purchase and subsequent restoration of the building,
> the work was based on the as-found conditions as they existed in
> 1929.  Although portions of the building were deteriorated, and a few
> minor alterations had occurred, much of the original fabric was still
> evident.  This provided the State with the information needed to
> replicate some of the missing and/or deteriorated components.  Even
> more conclusive for the purposes of this study was that the timber
> frame retained sufficient integrity for me to establish that the
> building had not been significantly altered from its original
> configuration."*

Mr. Gray summarizes his investigations by noting, "So, even though there
has been replacement of original components, the buildings maintains the
overall character, appearance, form, plan and detail of the building in
which Pierre Menard built and lived in until his death.

Concerning the property and outbuildings, Paula Cross notes that the
property is part of Pierre Menard's original land-holdings which lay on
the edge of the village of Kaskaskia.  The outbuildings now on the
property include the summer kitchen which is original to the house.  The
brick "smokehouse" is very much a 1930s restoration of a badly
deteriorated structure.  While it is difficult to confirm the full
accuracy of the restoration, it used as much of the original brick and
stone as possible.  Ms. Cross further notes that also located on the
property are a reproduction stone springhouse and a brick building which
houses the public restrooms.  The latter is sympathetic in architectural
design but is not interpreted to suggest that it was part of the
original estate.

**[Felix Valle Historic Site, Ste Genevieve.]{.underline}**

The Felix Valle Historic Site (Missouri) consists of the Bauvais
Amoureux House and the Felix Valle House, both in Ste Genevieve.

1.  **[Jean Baptiste St. Gemme Bauvais, Jr. House (commonly Amoureux
    House), Ste Genevieve]{.underline}**

**[References and resources:]{.underline}**

Jim Baker, Manager, Felix Valle House State Historic Site, P.O. Box 89,
Ste. Genevieve, MO   63670. Tel. (573) 883-7102. e-mail:    [.felix
valle.state.historic.site@dnr.mo.gov](mailto:.felix valle.state.historic.site@dnr.mo.gov)

Revised nomination text from the National Historic Landmark designation,
currently under review and editing.

**[Comments on authenticity]{.underline}**:

In general, the approach taken to conservation of this property over
time has been one involving respect for both surviving original
material, and for significant 19^th^ century modifications and
improvements.

The National Historic Landmark nomination document currently being
prepared notes the following in speaking about its significance and
efforts to authentically preserve that significance:

> *\"The property is one of only a few surviving French Canadian
> vernacular dwellings of its period in the United States.  It is also
> one of three surviving poteaux-en-terre houses in Ste. Genevieve  *
>
> *The house has been shortened from its original size.   Restoration
> architect Jack Luer estimates that the building originally measured 69
> feet long by 28 feet wide.  The log walls are 12-inch cedar logs.  The
> house presently measures approximated 51 feet long by 27 feet in plan
> excluding the front and rear porches.  the porches are approximately
> 10 and 8 feet in depth.\
> \
> The house is oriented with its gable end facing St. Mary\'s Road.  A
> raised porch is recessed beneath the shed-roofed eaves on the south
> side of the house, while former north porch is enclosed.  Fenestration
> consists of six-over-six, double hung sash windows and 12-light
> windows.  The walls of the house are sheathed in clapboard and stucco.
>  The roof is sheathed in corrugated metal.  One brick chimney projects
> from the west end of the roof ridge, while a second chimney projects
> from close to the center of the roof ridge.  Before the gables were
> constructed, the house had a steep French Canadian hipped roof with a
> 72-degree slope on the ends and 52 degree slope of the sides.  During
> the roof renovation, the west chimney was removed.  The portion of the
> east chimney that projected above the roof was changed from stone to
> brick.  A new brick chimney was added at the west wall to accommodate
> stoves.\
> \
> The original taped walnut ceiling beams have walnut ceiling boards,
> rived, then hewn flat on top and planed smooth on the bottom with a
> bead added at the exposed edge.  Battens are used to cover the joints.
>  All are held in place with hand-forged nails and were concealed by a
> plaster ceiling ( removed c. 1970).\
> \
> Interior alterations also occurred during the 1840\'s.  The interior
> space remaining after the west end of the building was removed was
> subdivided into four rooms with a center hall created by the
> installation of plaster and wood partitions.  The dates of these
> partitions were  established by the presence of straight-shanked blunt
> end screws that were manufactured during the 1840\'s.  Tongue and
> groove flooring had replaced the original floors prior to the
> installation of the partitions.  Other alterations that may have
> occurred at this time included closing of the remaining fireplace
> opening and the relocation of its walnut mantel.   The original
> casement windows were replaced with pine double hung sash, and the
> original doors and interior trim were replaced with pine.  The
> original shutters and their strap hinges  were replaced with slat
> blinds.  The exterior face of the wall logs below the new porch
> ceilings had sawn lath and lime plaster installed, while the exterior
> face of the east and west log walls and the new gabled were sheathed
> in wood siding.\
> \
> Photographs of the house in the HABS collection provide a detailed
> view of how it appeared in the 1930\'s.  At that time , both galleries
> were open.  At least some of the window sashes were missing, and an
> exterior stairway provided access to the garret from the west end of
> the south gallery.\
> \
> Although altered significantly over time, the house retains integrity.
>  It is a contributing resource to the district, and as one of only  a
> few surviving French Canadian vernacular house of its period in the
> United States, is a pivotal resource in the district.\"*

Jim Baker in overviewing the conservation work notes that

> *"The major components of the house are original 18th century - the
> walls, the roof structure, ceiling and floor joists, chimney.  When
> the house was shortened in the mid 19^th^ century, a few modifications
> were made in the interior layout of the rooms.  Its floors, windows,
> and interior trim all seem to date from the mid to late 1800\'s. The
> shortening of the house resulted in the removal, we believe, of
> another chimney at the west end of the home.  This also may have been
> the point at which the logs in the east wall were cut above ground
> level and placed on a stone foundation.  Another stone foundation was
> constructed for the new west wall of the house following the
> shortening procedure.  A significant percentage of original bousillage
> infill material still is in place between the vertical logs."*

In general, in contrast to the conservation approach exercised at the
Pierre Menard house, the Bolduc House, and the Felix Valle House, the
conservation work carried out at the Bauvais Amoureux House in recent
years by the Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources has carefully preserved
the house in its as-found condition, providing testimony both to its
late 18^th^ century vertical log construction origins, and also the
evidence of a subsequent century of modifications of use, layout,
windows and interior details.

**[2. Felix Valle House, Ste Genevieve]{.underline}**

**[References and resources:]{.underline}**

Jim Baker, Manager, Felix Valle House State Historic Site, P.O. Box 89,
Ste. Genevieve, MO   63670. Tel. (573) 883-7102. e-mail:  
 [[felix]{.underline}.valle.state.historic.site@dnr.mo.gov](mailto:felix.valle.state.historic.site@dnr.mo.gov)

Lane, William Bodley. "A restoration plan, Felix Valle House". The
Missouri State Park Board, Jefferson City, Missouri. 1974.

**[Comments on authenticity:]{.underline}**

The Felix Valle House has been restored to its condition in the early
1830s, to the period that preceded a number of mid 19^th^ century
remodellings. These remodellings destroyed the integrity of the original
19^th^ century house (placing a stairway within an original central
hall, for example) and as architect/ historian William Lane notes,
"blurred the main story.. the house has to tell\...namely that it is an
early example of American architecture in this French settlement, and
that the Valle occupancy is an indication of the French willingness to
accept the American influence." Moreover, Lane notes that the
"restoration of an early American building would complement the nearby
French colonial restoration of the Bolduc House."

Mr. Lane also felt it important in restoring the house to link the
occupancy of Felix Valle to his grandfather, Francois Valle, who arrived
to the original site of Ste Genevieve from Canada in 1748 and "by 1769
\... was highly respected by whites and Indians alike and said to be the
richest man in the area", and who was named by the Spanish in 1770 as
"commandant" of the territory newly acquired from France, serving until
his death in 1783, and his father Jean Baptiste Valle, who served as
commandant from the time of the Louisiana Purchase until his death in
1849. The Felix Valle House was built on a portion of the land occupied
by the residence of Jean Baptiste Valle, and acquired by a St. Louis
merchant Jacob Philipson in 1818. Philipson immediately built the stone
house which survives today, and in 1824, transferred the house back to
Jean Baptisite Valle, where it housed Valle family business operations
and became home to Jean Baptiste's right hand man and son Felix. By
1830, Felix Valle was chairman of the town council and the house was
home to a number of businesses using the building as base, including
Valle and Menard ( the same Menard of the Pierre Menard House in
Illinois, also included in this application) which controlled Indian
trade throughout Missouri and Arkansas, and the Valle mines. Felix
Valle's commercial operations thrived and he remodeled the house
substantially just before the Civil War, eliminating the commercial
activity from the house, but maintaining the simple house for modest
residential use.

Mr. Lane's analysis suggested returning the house to a point in the
1830s when it could best represent the original commercial/ residential
use of the property by Felix Valle, and the beginning of the
transformation of Ste Genevieve from reflections of its original French
settlers to reflections of its emerging "American" identity.

Lane's report notes the following in terms of the proposed restoration
work:

-   The building was recorded in the first year of HABS operations, in
    1934, and the HABS drawings demonstrate that no changes subsequent
    to 1934 had been introduced. It has been agreed that the 1934
    building reflected the mid 19^th^ century remodeling.

-   Physical evidence suggesting that all four surviving dormers,
    chimney pots and the metal roof were introduced in the mid 19th
    century and should be removed. Analysis of the roof disclosed early
    surviving wood shingles below the modern roof which suggested the
    form and details of the original roof, and which have guided
    restoration work.

-   Physical evidence uncovered in 1974 permitted discovery of the
    original front doors, the early fenestration pattern of the
    structure (still largely intact), the form and extent of the early
    back gallery, the early appearance of window shutters and hardware,
    and the two parts of the original outbuilding.

-   Physical evidence uncovered in 1974 clarified what changes to the
    interior had occurred during mid 19^th^ century remodeling, and
    clarified the layout and configuration of original and early
    elements, including for example, the placing and profiles of removed
    chair rails. The examination revealed that mid 19^th^ century
    changes were largely confined to the first floor and that the upper
    floor had survived with relatively few changes.

This physical analysis and the accompanying drawings provide a very
solid basis for the restoration work contemplated in 1974, and
subsequently carried out.

**[Bolduc House, Ste Genevieve]{.underline}**

**[References:]{.underline}**

Jim Baker, Manager, Felix Valle House State Historic Site, P.O. Box 89,
Ste. Genevieve, MO   63670. Tel. (573) 883-7102. e-mail:  
 [[felix]{.underline}.valle.state.historic.site@dnr.mo.gov](mailto:felix.valle.state.historic.site@dnr.mo.gov)

Connally, Dr. Ernest Allan. "Restoration of the Bolduc House at Sainte
Genevieve". 1957.

**[Comments on authenticity:]{.underline}**

The restoration of the Bolduc House was carried out by Dr. Ernest Allan
Connally, former Secretary-General of ICOMOS, and one of the key authors
of the original version of the World Heritage Operational Guidelines in
1976-1977. He describes his approach to the Bolduc House in a 1957
article "Restoration of the Bolduc House at Sainte Genevieve.

Dr. Connally characterizes the work as follows in 1957:

> *"Work on the Bolduc House at Sainte Genevieve is now nearing
> completion -- the final realization of a virtually unique restoration.
> This is the first instance of an authentic, and essentially complete,
> French colonial house of the Mississippi Valley being put back in its
> original form. All the 18^th^ c. Creole houses of this region have
> either disappeared or been subjected to comprehensive Americanization.
> It should be noted here that the Old Courthouse at Cahokia, Illinois
> (originally the home of a French habitant or settler), is really a
> complete reconstruction, many details of which were derived from the
> Bolduc House. So the Bolduc House now becomes a major example, and an
> original one, of French colonial architecture in America.*

Dr. Connally further elaborates on the sources of inspiration for the
restoration work*.*

> *"Here in the New World, the typical Norman farmhouse was given the
> addition of a gallery, probably inspired from native examples in the
> West Indies. The gallery protected the walls and provided desirable
> shade in the American climate.* *In the Mississippi Valley, two
> vernacular architectural forms, of diverse origins, were combined to
> make a new architectural peculiarly appropriate to its own time and
> place "*

The house was acquired by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of
America in 1948. During the period 1949-52, the largely derelict house
was the object of a stabilization and rehabilitation program. "numerous
interior partitions, floors and other items of relatively late date were
removed; the original arrangement of rooms was recovered, and they were
restored." Examination of the possibility of restoring the unsightly
sheet-metal roof to its original form led to an invitation to Dr.
Connally to take on the project and guide the restoration work.
Following a thorough examination of the entire house,

> *"it was decided to take the house in hand for comprehensive
> restoration. For that purpose was adopted a basic, and eminently
> sound, principle: to restore the house to its earliest apparent form,
> with but one exception. The stone kitchen which had been added at the
> north eastern corner of the house was to remain, for it was an early
> and interesting structure in itself and the original structure and the
> original kitchen, which doubtless had stood detached in the yard, had
> long since disappeared. To omit the kitchen would have been to restore
> an incomplete house. In addition to this principle, it was readily
> agreed that the restoration be as accurate and authentic as
> possible."*

While historic research revealed no specific building records or
descriptions for the house, "clear evidence was found in the building
itself to indicate its original appearance in all major aspects," and
"we can be sure that the restoration is essentially accurate".

Concerning the grounds, Dr. Connally notes that the house stood on a
large property,

> *"including a garden, orchard, barn, and other buildings. The present
> limits of the property are much reduced; therefore in planning the
> restoration of the correct setting for a Creole house, it has been
> decided to reproduce smaller versions of the principal components:
> garden, grape-arbor, orchard, and perhaps one outbuilding and a well.
> The entire site will be enclosed with a stout cedar stockade of the
> sort used in lieu of fences in early Ste Genevieve."*

Dr. Connally also refers to a program to recover original pieces of
Bolduc furniture, and notes in conclusion, that "when all is said and
done, this restoration is intended to be a complete ensemble -- house,
furnishings, garden, and stockade. As such it is certain to be a primary
example of French colonial art and life in the Unites States."

Dr. Connally's 1957 words also suggest the house to have been built in
1770, and to have been moved in 1785 to its present site, following the
great flood of 1785, and notes that "re-used timbers in the house lend
credence to that tradition". More recent thinking on the structure casts
doubt on the moving of the structure but does confirm the re-use of
earlier timbers within it.

**[Section 5.b. Protective Designations.]{.underline}**

The material below can be added to the material provided in the original
application in this section, concerned with the Ste Genevieve National
Historic Landmark District.

**[Ste Genevieve National Historic Landmark District Ordinance and
Commission]{.underline}**

**[References]{.underline}**:

Jim Baker, Manager, Felix Valle House State Historic Site, P.O. Box 89,
Ste. Genevieve, MO   63670. Tel. (573) 883-7102. e-mail:  
 <felix.valle.state.historic.site@dnr.mo.gov>

Sandy Koller, zoning coordinator, Ste Genevieve, responsible for the day
to day workings of the local Landmarks Ordinance and Commission.  

Historic Preservation Ordinance, Ste Genevieve, Missouri. 26 pages.

Introduction -- Design Review Guidelines. Ste Genevieve Landmarks
Commission. 6 pages.

**[Comments on effectiveness:]{.underline}**

Architectural change within the designated National Historic Landmark
District is governed by a Historic Preservation Ordinance for Ste
Genevieve, adopted by the Ste Genevieve Board of Aldermen in 1992. This
Ordinance includes sections which define its purpose, appropriate
definitions linked to the scope of its powers and activities, the
composition, powers and duties of the Ste Genevieve Landmarks
Commission, processes for designation and regulation of landmarks and
historic properties, and finally a section on enforcement, application
and permits.

Since June 2001, the Ordinance has been accompanied informally by Design
Review Guidelines prepared by a historic preservation consultant for the
Ste Genevieve National Historic Landmark District. These Guidelines have
been optional to date, as they are not linked to the Ordinance. Jim
Baker notes that "In my opinion, the design guidelines are an excellent
tool for everyone to work from - both citizens and commissioners who
make approval decisions." (A section of the Design Review Guidelines is
attached).

The Ordinance is currently in the process of being revised to make it
stronger and more enforceable. It is hoped to have the revised ordinance
reviewed and approved by the City Board of Aldermen by the end of this
month (June 2007).  The ordinance will include official acceptance of
the design review guidelines for the district noted above.  

Jim Baker and Sandy Koller note the following about the Ordinance and
the work of the Landmarks Commission:

-   *"The Landmarks Commission receives many applications for projects
    within the historic district and they seek to maintain a consistent
    approach to enforcement of the ordinance. The vast majority of the
    requests for review and 'certificates of appropriateness' deal with
    buildings with limited historic significance, but which nevertheless
    are still structures contributing to the overall integrity of the
    historic district.  The Landmarks Commission does give greater
    scrutiny to requests involving buildings listed as contributing
    structures to the National Historic Landmark District.  Many of
    their requests, and indeed the subject arousing most controversy,
    involve the desire to install items like vinyl siding or fencing.
    These are typically proposed for buildings dating from the late 19th
    and early 20th century, where vinyl is indeed inappropriate, but
    where home owners don\'t look at their properties as \"historic\".
     Owners of the late 18th and early 19th century buildings seem to
    have a better sense of appropriate restoration and renovation work,
    and  through the education efforts of the Commission, arriving
    requests from these owners are typically more consistent with the
    established design review guidelines.*

![](media/image1.png){width="0.20833333333333334in" height="0.15625in"}

-   *Each year, the City prepares comments on the status of the
    resources in the National Historic Landmark District for submittal
    to the National Park Service.  A report is also submitted to the
    State Historic Preservation Office, as required to maintain the
    city\'s status as a \"certified local government\".*

-   *A recent case study: recently, the City has worked very closely
    with the local historical society, \"The Foundation for Restoration
    of Ste. Genevieve\" and a local landowner who had requested
    permission to demolish a very small vertical log structure dating to
    the mid 1830\'s. Despite its very poor condition, many local
    residents however wanted  to see the building preserved in some
    fashion.  It appears that now the landowner will accept grant
    assistance from the Foundation for the basic preservation and repair
    of the building.  We hope this can be a success story which
    encourages others!*

-   *As you are certainly aware, historic preservation ordinances and
    their enforcement can be subjects of passionate debate and often
    commissioners can be unpopular for certain decisions.  Landowners
    rarely like to be told what they can and cannot do to their private
    property.  Ste. Genevieve\'s commission has had to make some
    difficult decisions, but have always had the best interests of the
    historic resources of the community at heart."*

It should be noted that all of the Ste Genevieve properties included in
this application are within the National Historic Landmark District.