Rosemary Davison: A Florissant Pioneer in a Man’s World

By Gina Siebe: President of Historic Florissant

In 2018, Mayor Tom Schneider deemed August 7, Rosemary Davison Day in the City of Florissant, yet many residents do not know who she was or what she did for Florissant.
Rosemary moved to Florissant in 1958. Old St. Ferdinand Shrine caught her attention right away. At that time the Shrine had fallen into grave disrepair. The Archdiocese no longer cared for the buildings and planned to demolish them. After researching and learning the importance of this church to Florissant history, Rosemary conducted a letter writing campaign and eventually was able to convince the Archdiocese not to raze the church.
Soon, Rosemary’s mother and father moved into the caretaker’s quarters of the Shrine and together they started the arduous task of restoring the church, schoolhouse and convent. To fund the project, Rosemary used her own private funds and asked residents for monetary donations, thus Friends of Old St. Ferdinand Shrine was born. The rest is history. In 1979 the complex was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 1988 with the canonization of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne it was designated Old St. Ferdinand Shrine by the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
In 1982, Florissant Mayor James J. Eagan stated, “Mrs. Davison is not one to just have her name listed in various organizations. She is a doer, an implementer, and an innovator. Her involvement in the world around her and her dedication to the preservation of our past is intense.”
In a society where women worked in the home, Rosemary was a pioneer in a man’s world. Some of her accomplishments include: Missouri’s first female attorney in Marion County- First female deputy US Marshal in St. Louis. At age 17 she was appointed by her uncle, William B. Fahy, who was also a US Marshall. Rosemary did not carry a gun, but transported prisoners!- Florissant City Clerk and helped to write the Florissant City Charter
• Worked to protect and preserve over 20 historic properties in the Florissant area – Help defined the boundaries of Old Town Florissant and helped to write ordinances – Owned a Florissant tavern, Davison’s –
She was instrumental in bringing the Metro-Link to St. Louis – Member, St. Louis County Historic Buildings Commission – Co-Chaired the St. Louis Arts and Education Fund for the Florissant area, 1969 – Member and First Chairperson, Florissant Valley of Flowers Committee – coordinator, Florissant Bicentennial Commission – Chairperson, Florissant Landmarks Commission – President, Landmarks Association of St. Louis
•President and Founding Member of Historic Florissant, Inc. – President and Founding Member of Florissant Valley Historical Society –
•President and Founding Member of Friends of Old St. Ferdinand – Advisor, National Trust for Historic Preservation – Founder, Business and Professional Women’s Club of Florissant –
•Founder, Florissant Fine Arts Council – Vice President, Missouri Committee for the Humanities -Still other positions included:
• Flight Director, Friendship Force of Missouri – Member, Missouri Bar Association Director, Florissant Valley Chamber of Commerce – Director, St. Stanislaus Historical Society – chair, St. Louis Archdiocese Commission on Human Rights and member, of North County Churches Uniting for RacialHarmony and Justice.
On Aug. 7, Florissant’s Rosemary Davison Day, take time to reflect on this amazing woman and her unbelievable accomplishments. Rosemary single handedly contributed more to Florissant than any one person. Her resume is extensive and includes more than what is posted here. Her love was Historic Florissant, Inc. She worked to protect, preserve and restore historic structures in our area. She strongly believed in preserving history for future generations.
Today, volunteers at Historic Florissant, Inc. are committed to continuing her legacy. The Gittemeier House located at 1067 Dunn Rd. serves as office space for the organization, a research center complete with local historic archives, and a house museum. Volunteers have restored the Gittemeier House which is open for tours and are now working with the city to restore the Wiese House in St. Ferdinand Park. Historic Florissant is a non-profit organization which relies on public donations. For more information, visit www.historicflorissant.com or call 314-565-1468.

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