Louis Bolduc House
Encyclopedia
The Louis Bolduc House, also known as Maison Bolduc, is an example of poteaux sur solle
("posts-on-sill") construction and is located in Ste. Geneviève, Missouri
. The first historic structure in Ste. Genevieve to be authentically restored, the house is a prime example of the traditional French Colonial
architecture of the early 18th century in North America.
, such as Prairie du Rocher, Illinois
. Because of repeated flooding from the Mississippi River
, with an especially bad occurrence in 1785, they decided to relocate to a higher site further away from the river.
In 1792 Louis Bolduc, a successful merchant and trader, who also had lead
mines to the west, built a one-story house at the new village site, about three miles north of the first. First to be built in the one-story house was a large "keeping room", about 26'x 27', where the family conducted most of its activities. It has a large fireplace at the north end, and a wide-plank puncheon
floor, made of logs cut flat on only one side, with the curved side laid down. Storage for lead, corn and other goods was in the attic above the room. In 1793, Bolduc had the wide hallway and a large sleeping chamber added, the latter also about 26' x 27' in size. Historians believe the sleeping chamber had two "sleeping cells," areas partially walled off for privacy, one for him and his wife and one shared by their three children. Bolduc had tall windows with glass installed in both large rooms, another mark of his wealth.
The walls of the house were built with heavy oak
timbers set about six inches apart and infilled with bousillage
, a mixture of mud, straw, and horsehair that hardened to a cement-like texture. Sometimes other animal or human hair was added to the mixture. Diagonal timbers on each supporting wall added stability.. The steep hip roof
, made of cedar
shakes, was supported by heavy, hand-hewn Norman
truss
es held together by mortise and tenon
joinery. It extends over the four sides of the house's porches or galleries, which provided shade and cooling. The house is surrounded by a reconstructed stockade fence typical of the time (to keep out livestock). Gardens have been reconstructed on the grounds.
Located at 123 South Main, the property was owned by Bolduc family descendants until the 1940s. Furnished with pieces typical of the period, it is operated as a historic house museum. Three items are original to the Bolduc family. The property has been owned since 1949 and operated by The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of Missouri. It was restored in 1956-1957, under the direction of the architectural historian, Dr. Ernest Allen Connally. As may be seen by a comparison of photos below, the house was restored to show its original colonial style, whose elements were intact under later changes. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1970. It is a contributing property
in the Ste. Genevieve Historic District
, which also a National Historic Landmark
.
Poteaux-sur-solle
Poteaux-sur-solle is the name for the "posts-on-sill" style of French colonial architecture used by French and French-Canadian settlers in North America. Houses in this style in the present-day United States can be found in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri; Prairie du Rocher, Illinois, and former French...
("posts-on-sill") construction and is located in Ste. Geneviève, Missouri
Ste. Genevieve, Missouri
Ste. Genevieve is a city in and the county seat of Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri, United States. The population was 11,654 at the 2000 census...
. The first historic structure in Ste. Genevieve to be authentically restored, the house is a prime example of the traditional French Colonial
French Colonial
French Colonial a style of architecture used by the French during colonization. Many French colonies, especially those in South-East Asia, have previously been reluctant to promote their colonial architecture as an asset for tourism, however in recent times, the new-generation of local authorities...
architecture of the early 18th century in North America.
History
Ste. Genevieve was founded in the mid-eighteenth century by French-Canadian settlers, most of whom migrated from villages on the east bank of the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, such as Prairie du Rocher, Illinois
Prairie du Rocher, Illinois
Prairie du Rocher is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. Founded in the French colonial period in the American Midwest, the community is located near bluffs that flank the east side of the Mississippi River along the floodplain often called the "American Bottom".Prairie du...
. Because of repeated flooding from the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, with an especially bad occurrence in 1785, they decided to relocate to a higher site further away from the river.
In 1792 Louis Bolduc, a successful merchant and trader, who also had lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
mines to the west, built a one-story house at the new village site, about three miles north of the first. First to be built in the one-story house was a large "keeping room", about 26'x 27', where the family conducted most of its activities. It has a large fireplace at the north end, and a wide-plank puncheon
Puncheon
Puncheon is a tool or instrument for piercing or punching, such as those used for impressing designs onto coin dies. The "barrel" meaning is thought to derive from the fact that it would have been marked by use of a punch to denote its contents....
floor, made of logs cut flat on only one side, with the curved side laid down. Storage for lead, corn and other goods was in the attic above the room. In 1793, Bolduc had the wide hallway and a large sleeping chamber added, the latter also about 26' x 27' in size. Historians believe the sleeping chamber had two "sleeping cells," areas partially walled off for privacy, one for him and his wife and one shared by their three children. Bolduc had tall windows with glass installed in both large rooms, another mark of his wealth.
The walls of the house were built with heavy oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
timbers set about six inches apart and infilled with bousillage
Bousillage
Bousillage is the name of one of the components of the style of construction that uses vertical logs enclosed or filled by a mud mixture. This style was commonly used by 18th century French colonial settlers in the Americas.Bousillage, in south Louisiana, was a mixture of clay earth and retted...
, a mixture of mud, straw, and horsehair that hardened to a cement-like texture. Sometimes other animal or human hair was added to the mixture. Diagonal timbers on each supporting wall added stability.. The steep hip roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
, made of cedar
Cedar wood
Cedar wood comes from several different trees that grow in different parts of the world, and may have different uses.* California incense-cedar, from Calocedrus decurrens, is the primary type of wood used for making pencils...
shakes, was supported by heavy, hand-hewn Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
truss
Truss
In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...
es held together by mortise and tenon
Mortise and tenon
The mortise and tenon joint has been used for thousands of years by woodworkers around the world to join pieces of wood, mainly when the adjoining pieces connect at an angle of 90°. In its basic form it is both simple and strong. Although there are many joint variations, the basic mortise and tenon...
joinery. It extends over the four sides of the house's porches or galleries, which provided shade and cooling. The house is surrounded by a reconstructed stockade fence typical of the time (to keep out livestock). Gardens have been reconstructed on the grounds.
Located at 123 South Main, the property was owned by Bolduc family descendants until the 1940s. Furnished with pieces typical of the period, it is operated as a historic house museum. Three items are original to the Bolduc family. The property has been owned since 1949 and operated by The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of Missouri. It was restored in 1956-1957, under the direction of the architectural historian, Dr. Ernest Allen Connally. As may be seen by a comparison of photos below, the house was restored to show its original colonial style, whose elements were intact under later changes. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1970. It is a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
in the Ste. Genevieve Historic District
Ste. Genevieve Historic District
Ste. Genevieve Historic District is a historic district in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960, the Ste. Genevieve National Historic Landmark District includes many major structures of historic significance...
, which also a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
External links
- Official Louis Bolduc House website
- HABS: Louis Bolduc House, 123 South Main Street, Sainte Genevieve, Ste. Genevieve County, MO - 2 color and 35 b&w photos, 17 drawings, 9 data pages, at Historic American Building Survey-HABS, Library of Congress.