St.
Clair County, Illinois
St.
Clair’s proximity to the city of St. Louis
makes the southwestern Illinois county a
popular destination for day-tripping
Missourians. The county was organized in
1790 – the first county established in
Illinois from the Northwest Territory. It
was named after the first governor, Arthur
St. Clair.
Some of the cities in St. Clair County
include, Caseyville, East Saint Louis,
Lebanon, , National City, Saint Libory and
Washington Park. The county seat is Belleville,
and is located 15 miles southeast of St.
Louis near the Mississippi River and the
Missouri state line. It was founded by
mostly German settlers, and the architecture
of the city and the history it exemplifies
are distinctly German.
The area has a variety of golf courses, and
Belleville Area College. Other can’t-miss
sites in Belleville:
-
Lady
of the Snows. The nation’s largest
outdoor shrine sits on 200 acres just 15
minutes from downtown St. Louis.
-
Victorian
House Museum. Built in 1866, this
adaptation of a Greek revival home was
built by Moritz Dobschultz, a German
immigrant who became very prosperous in
Belleville.
-
Cathedral
of Saint Peter. Founded in 1842 and
dedicated in 1866, it is modeled after
the Cathedral of Exeter, England. The
English Gothic style of architecture
utilized high, pointed arches aiming
toward heaven. This type of architecture
is actually a forerunner of today's
modern skyscrapers.
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