See the Carondelet Historical Museum

St. Louis Historic Sites History Meetup Last went: 2020 Will go again: 2029 Cost: $5 We will have a orientation/discussion beginning at 10am. After this, there will be time to wander through the museum/Historical Society at our own pace. You don't have to arrive at 10am for the tour, but keep in mind that the museum closes at 2:00pm. "Before it was a south-city neighborhood, Carondelet developed in parallel with St. Louis; it was an independent settlement founded in 1767 by French settler Clément Delor de Treget. Many notable events mark the history of Carondelet, from the transfer of the Louisiana Territory to the United States in 1804, to the sale of land that would become Jefferson Barracks to the US government, to the building of Union ironclads by James Eads during the Civil War; but perhaps most remarkable was the founding in 1873 of Des Peres School by Susan Blow (daughter of diplomat and congressman Henry Blow, whose family owned and was central in the trial and eventual liberation of Dred Scott). It was the first continuous public school kindergarten in the United States. It is in the former Des Peres School building that the Carondelet Historical Society has found its home. The building was purchased in 1981 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Our organization is dedicated to perpetuating the heritage of our unique community: Carondelet, Missouri, formerly an independent village, town and city and now a neighborhood of St. Louis. There are several permanent exhibits in the former Des Peres School. The Susan Blow Kindergarten Room is on the first floor; it is maintained as it appeared in the 19th Century and features “Fröbel’s Gifts,” pedagogical materials developed by the German creator of the kindergarten movement, Friedrich Fröbel. Encompassing the first floor hallway and both staircases is the Wall of Honor which honors Carondelet and other local veterans with individual photos. Service members honored range from the Civil War to present conflicts. The second floor houses the Cleveland High School Room, the Heritage Room (featuring furnishings from the 19th-early 20th centuries), and Memory Lane, a “Street of Stores” that features every imaginable consumer good, from toys to tools to an old-fashioned butcher shop. There are additionally numerous small exhibits throughout the building." (From the Historical Society webpage)