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Historical Society’s 50th Anniversary Continues: Open House, Tours at Casa Alvarez on Aug. 24
An open house will be held at Casa Alvarez on Sunday, Aug. 24, from 2-4 p.m., to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Florissant Valley Historical Society. Events commemorating the 50th anniversary are being held throughout the year.
The current owners, Mark and Mary Rolwes, are hosting the party at 289 St. Denis. Guests may tour the first floor of the house and have lemonade and cookies on the lawn.
After the founding of the historical society, Mr. and Mrs. William Outten offered to hold a Silver Tea on the terrace of their home Casa Alvarez believed to be one of the oldest homes in Florissant.
The Historical Soceity’s first fundraiser 50 years ago was a tea held in August at Casa Alvarez, according to Mary Kay Gladbach who has been active with the group since its inception.
Augustine Alvarez, son of Eugenio Alvarez, military storekeeper for the King of Spain and later for Auguste Chouteau, acquired the property which still carries his name in 1840. His descendants lived in the house until 1905.
Florissant legend says the house was built by his father in the 1790s and the Historic American Buildings Survey Inventory dates it as circa 1790. Others place it at a later date, but it is one of Florissant’s oldest homes.
Later owners included Humphrey Moynihan, a former mayor of Florissant, Auguste Archambault, son of the explorer of the same name, and Dr. Herman von Shrenck, plant pathologist and timber engineer.
First Meeting held in 1958
The Florissant Valley Historical Society began in 1958, just a year after Florissant celebrated its centennial. “It was a huge celebration and the whole town came together,” said Gladbach. She said the first meeting of the historical society had about 15 to 20 attending. Most had an interest in local history.
Gladbach said among the original members were Henry Evans, who published the Florissant Reporter and Rosemary Davison, who celebrated her 90th birthday Aug. 7 and still active in the community. She was treasurer of the original organization and later became president of the Historical Society. She was instrumental in saving tbe Taille de Noyer and raising the funds to move the historic home to its present site on the campus of McCluer High School.
