Civil War Preservation Fund

Location: Louisiana, Pike County, MO
Status: Stabilized (Fire Damage)
Threat: Unoccupied
Description & Brief History: Constructed in 1856 by wealthy tobacco merchant William Luce as a wedding gift for his son Homer. Sold to Colonel David P. Dyer, commander of the 49th Missouri Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War and later United States Congressman of the 9th Congressional District. Col. Dyer sold the home to his good friend Brigadier General and United States Senator John Brooks Henderson a few years later. Senator Henderson is best known in history as the co-author and co-sponsor of Thirteenth Amendment that freed the slaves at the end of the Civil War.

Former Location: Forest Park, St. Louis, MO
Status: Preservation in Progress
Threat: Vandalism
Description & Brief History: Constructed in 1914 by the St. Louis Confederate Monument Association, this 32-foot tall granite monument was sculpted by George Julian Zolnay. The sculpture titled “The Angel of the Spirit of the Confederacy,” depicts Southern mobilization efforts, as a family is sending a loved one off to civil war. Born in Hungary, George Zolnay came to St. Louis as Director of the Art Department for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. While in St. Louis, he taught at Washington University and the Art Academy in University City.

In June 2017, the Missouri Civil War Museum acquired ownership of this monument after a brief legal battle with the City of St. Louis, Missouri. The monument was removed from its previous location in Forest Park by the Museum and is now in protective storage awaiting preservation work. The monument will ultimately be re-erected in a new location, such as a Civil War battlefield, cemetery, or museum property.

Location: Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis County, MO
Status: Under Renovation
Threat: Deterioration
Description & Brief History: Built in 1918, the Jefferson Barracks Post Exchange Building is located at the Jefferson Barracks Historic Site in St. Louis, Missouri. This historic building, which is included in the National Register of Historic Places, was built during World War I to replace the 1905 Jefferson Barracks Post Exchange Building that was needed as a troop barracks. This building is currently under restoration and is scheduled to be completed in early 2018. The building will be utilized as a new Civil War educational center and will house the museum’s library and manuscript collections.

Luce-Dyer-Henderson-Stark Home
Location: Louisiana, Pike County, MO
Status: Stabilized (Fire Damage)
Threat: Unoccupied
Description & Brief History: Constructed in 1856 by wealthy tobacco merchant William Luce as a wedding gift for his son Homer. Sold to Colonel David P. Dyer, commander of the 49th Missouri Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War and later United States Congressman of the 9th Congressional District. Col. Dyer sold the home to his good friend Brigadier General and United States Senator John Brooks Henderson a few years later. Senator Henderson is best known in history as the co-author and co-sponsor of Thirteenth Amendment that freed the slaves at the end of the Civil War.