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Cool Weather Doesn’t Stop Residents From Celebrating the 225th Anniversary
Old St. Ferdinand Shrine as viewed from the balcony. Nichole Butler photo
By Nichole Butler
A hardy bunch of area residents and history buffs turned out on a cool and windy night Nov. 18 to celebrate the city’s 225th anniversary event held on the grounds of the lighted St. Ferdinand Shrine.
The celebration was held at the Old St. Ferdinand Shrine. The convent, rectory, museum, and schoolhouse were also open for anyone who cared to come on in. With the cooler temperatures and the wind, the indoor events were the most popular attractions.
Outside the rectory, tables were set up displaying paintings of local homes. The artist was sitting behind the table, dining with his wife.
Ellery and Sue Ann Johnson have lived in Florissant for the past 40 years.
“Florissant is a great place to live,” Johnson said.
The Johnson’s drove around Florissant photographing the city’s historical architecture, and then Johnson painted them onto canvas.
Johnson has made a career out of his art. He was an art teacher for 31 years, and his work is now sold at The Chappel House, an art gallery for local artists located on Washington Street.
It is not surprising that an artist would find inspiration in a city like Florissant, a city so rich in history and architecture.
Non-for-profit agencies such as Friends of St. Ferdinand Shrine, Inc., Florissant Old Town Partners, and Historic Florissant Inc. have gone great lengths to preserving and restoring the city’s founding architectures.
The St. Ferdinand Church was built in partial by funds provided by Saint Louis’ first millionaire, John Mullanphy, an Irish Catholic who moved to Florissant in the late 1700s. He donated $6,000 to help the construction of the current brick structure.
Mullanphy’s home, Taille de Noyer, is a property that has been a project of Historic Florissant, Inc and is now the home of The Florissant Valley Historical Society.
Other historical homes in the area, such as the Myers House and Barn built in 1870 by Florissant citizen John B. Myers and today occupies a deli and craft shops, are wonderful examples of how the preservation of a city’s history is what makes a town a great place to live.
It is due in great part to these agencies that many properties in the area have become successful reminders of the history of Florissant, giving locals the opportunity to view the city as it used to be. (Historical homes and businesses in Florissant can be found at florssiantoldtown.com) The city along with Historic Inc. will be offering the new Green Line tour of historic Florissant locations starting this weekend. (see story on page one of our paper for more information about the new Green Line tours)
As the city of Florissant celebrates this 225th year, perhaps the celebration should be continued all year through. Take a tour of the Old St. Ferdinand Shrine. Visit the bookstore at the Gittemeier House. Pick up something yummy from the new cheesecake shop at the Narrow Gauge Railroad Station next to Fritz. Enjoy a dinner at one of the many fine dining establishments in the city.
Go out there and celebrate what Florissant is: historic and beautiful, as Mayor Tom Schneider and former mayor Robert Lowery would say.
