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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