As the oldest permanent European settlement west of the Mississippi River, Ste. Geneviève is home to the country’s largest collection of vertical log structures, a style of French colonial architecture that has virtually vanished elsewhere in the United States.
When French Canadians settled into the area in 1735, these early inhabitants brought with them a building technique that uses “vertical wooden post” construction, with posts either set in the ground (poteaux en terre) or set on a foundation known as a sill (poteaux sur solle).
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“I think Ste. Gen has been known by a lot of people as the oldest settlement in Missouri, and we have that recognition, but I still think we are relatively unknown,” says Mayor Brian Keim.
The provenance of many of the town’s historic buildings is surprising to those outside the area, adds tourism marking director Aaron Smith. His colleagues in the tourism industry, though, have likened the city to a rural Quebecois village that’s been dropped into the middle of Missouri. “That’s something I don’t think I’ve heard from anyone who’s local here,” he says.
Hired in December 2023, Smith wants to bring more attention to the city with a long-term marketing plan. No longer content to maintain the city’s status as a hidden gem an hour-and-a-half drive from St. Louis, Smith says the goal is to attract history buffs, architecture and design enthusiasts, and tourists of all types, including those who may have grown up in the area, to the French Colonial town nestled in the midwestern United States.
“There are these people who grew up here saying, ‘Well, we went to these historic homes back in third grade and they weren’t that interesting.’ So there is this disconnect that we need to find a bridge for and I think this rebranding exercise is exactly what we need,” says Smith.
While the city’s tourism efforts are built on the foundation of its historic structures, the new brand and marketing plan is also meant to sell the area as a multi-day destination that encompasses the area’s other draws, including its wineries, hiking trails in surrounding Hawn State State Park, and special events that play to the city’s proud French heritage. There is also a large waterpark.
“I think there’s a real opportunity to be a national and international destination,” Smith says.
Last month, city officials unveiled a fresh logo and marketing materials. A new slogan—There’s something special here—was also revealed. St. Louis-based branding firm Blacktop Sailor developed the brand kit, but the slogan bubbled up organically during a conversation with Ste. Geneviève-native Bill Naeger, a founder of the town’s French Heritage Festival and co-author of the book, Ste. Geneviève: A Leisurely Stroll Through History. Naeger used the phrase at an informal meeting with the team from Blacktop Sailor, says Smith.
“There’s a lot of science behind why we chose it, so I don’t want to undersell it, but it was great that one of the most influential people in town was able to kind of come up with the slogan,” he says. “We all looked at each other after he said it and thought, That’s pretty damn good. So that was a special moment and that’s just Ste. Gen in a nutshell. These magical moments happen all the time.”
The new marketing materials include a fresh color palette and font styles inspired by the town’s history and architecture, says Matthew Maddox, co-founder of Blacktop Sailor. Design details were influenced by the tile cladding the steeple at Ste. Geneviève Catholic Church, as well as the coats of arms belonging to some of the area’s oldest families, including the Valle and the Gabourie. The new logo’s textural pattern was inspired by a glass church lantern that Maddox later discovered shares a name with the city.
“It was just really interesting how Ste. Geneviève itself inspired designs that found their way into consideration,” says Maddox. “It’s been our job to use history to inform the aesthetic of the present, while also designing something that doesn’t have an expiration date.”
While the rebrand pays homage to the past, Ste. Genevieve is very much a living city, with many residents making homes in historic buildings, says Susie Johnson, of the Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Geneviève, which will host the annual “Living in Ste. Genevieve House Tour” on March 15.
“One of the reasons the Foundation started our house tours three years ago is to show a broad spectrum of architecture throughout town and how older homes can be refashioned to live in today,” says Johnson, a native of the city who moved away for a decade before returning to the area in 2012.
This year’s tour features a vertical log house and a vertical log cabin, while also showcasing a two-story horizontal log cabin, a Sears kit house, a Georgian Irish manor, a Queen Anne style house, and an American Foursquare, among others. Johnson lives in a circa 1845 Georgian-style brick home that reflects the influence of American and German settlers on the once predominantly French community.
“With two front doors, it was likely a combination of a residence and business,” says Johnson of the house she shares with her husband and three dogs. In the late 1800s, it was the home of the Creole Carrot Cigar and Tobacco Company. A mid-20th century kitchen and dining room addition make the home livable,” she says.
Home to some 4,400 residents, Ste. Geneviève balances preservation with evolution, says creative director and interior designer Jennifer Baca, who moved her business ventures from St. Louis to Ste. Gen, in part, because of its focus on “slow, intentional living and learning.”
“I’m a Francofile, a bohemian of sorts, attracted to the combination of yesteryear and modern times,” says Baca, who operates under the name Jenny B. “I began my journey by visiting the events throughout the year and touring the museums and houses portraying French living in the 1800s, including herb gardens. My weekly adventure included thrifting my way through the antique mall, sourcing home goods for myself and clients.”
Today Baca, who runs Le Comptoir General & Co., a kitchen and garden atelier, is part of a local design committee dedicated to bringing an artisanal touch to the town’s events. The committee is focused on being more purposeful about everything, from lighting to foraged tablescapes, in a way that helps share the unique story of a place, she says.
“People want to take the time to tell you their story. And people take the time to listen to my stories. I’ve shared endless conversations with both locals and visitors,” says Baca. “For me, the storytelling makes it special.”
