Gen. John J. Pershing Boyhood Home State Historic Site
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Gen. John J. Pershing Boyhood Home | |
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General John J. Pershing Boyhood Home | |
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| Location | Laclede, Missouri |
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| Coordinates | 39°47′17″N 93°10′8″W / 39.78806°N 93.16889°WCoordinates: 39°47′17″N 93°10′8″W / 39.78806°N 93.16889°W |
| Built | 1866 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Governing body | Missouri Department of Natural Resources |
| NRHP Reference # | 69000111 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | May 21, 1969[1] |
| Designated NHL | May 11, 1976[2] |
Gen. John J. Pershing Boyhood Home State Historic Site in Laclede, Missouri, is maintained by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources as a state historic site. General John Joseph "Jack" Pershing lead the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I and attained the rank of General of the Armies. Pershing was born on a farm outside of Laclede, but lived in the home from age six to adulthood. The historic site preserves and interprets the boyhood home and the one-room Prairie Mound School at which he taught for a year before attending West Point Military Academy. The home has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since May, 1976.
History
The Gothic Revival style home was constructed circa 1857,[3] and purchased by the Pershing family in 1866.[4] Pershing remained in the home after completing high school, taking a teaching position at nearby Prairie Mound School until he left to attend the First District Normal School in Kirksville, Missouri. After graduating he returned to Laclede and taught at the Prairie Mound School again until being accepted to West Point.[4]
The Pershing home was acquired by the state of Missouri in 1952 when it was learned the owner at that time was intending to raze the building.[3] On September 13, 1960, as part of a national centennial celebration of Pershing's birth, the home was officially dedicated in his memory and the soldiers who served under him.[4] The home today features period-specific furniture from the mid and late 1800s as well as a small museum chronicling the life of Pershing.[4] A few steps away sits the restored Prairie Mound school, also featuring interpretive displays. Tours are available. A nearby garden features Wall of Honor with the names of war veterans as well as a life-size statue of Pershing created in the 1950s by sculptor Carl Mose.[4] About three miles west of Laclede is the Locust Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site, where Pershing used to swim and fish as a boy, and Pershing State Park.
See also
References
- ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15.
- ↑ "Pershing, General John J., Boyhood Home". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Application for National Register of Historic Places". Missouri Department of Natural Resources. 10 April 1969. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "General information - Pershing boyhood home". Missouri Department of Natural Resoures. 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
External links
- Gen. John J. Pershing Boyhood Home State Historic Site
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. MO-268, "General John J. Pershing Boyhood Home, State & Worlow Streets, Laclede, Linn County, MO", 6 photos, 7 measured drawings, 1 photo caption page
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