The Bissell House

A witness to the early years of military protection of St. Louis and settlement of St. Louis County, General Daniel Bissell’s house stands on Bellefontaine Road, which is, as it was then, the main thoroughfare through the northeastern part of St. Louis County. The Bissell House is a valuable source of information about the man who became famous as the commander of Fort Belle Fontaine, the first American cantonment west of the Mississippi River. Bissell’s house holds both physical and emotional associations which bring one’s sense of continuity closer to our origins. Owned and cared for by the Bissells for over 140 years, the house retains its early appearance with the simplicity of its Federal style façade and furnishings from the nineteenth century. An authentic building from the 1810s, Bissell’s home testifies to the changing needs and tastes of the following generations. This becomes evident when we examine the history of the Bissell House between 1812 and the last major alternations made in 1934.

After Daniel Bissell (1769-1833), a native of Connecticut, assumed command of Fort Belle Fontaine in 1809, he acquired land and started building a house for his family. It is believed that the first structure he built was a log cabin, followed in 1814-1815 by a stone house. The two-story brick house, completed between 1817 and 1819, is the building which exists today.

What’s so special about heirloom gardens. It seems there are many more questions than answers, but as many answers as gardeners. From a carefully planned kitchen garden to an old fashion bounty of a blooming garden, it is just the life style of growing plants. For some I feel it includes the romance of history or folklore surrounding plants and connections with the gardener. Americans have thoughts between history of the native American of the history of European history absorbed into America.