Des Peres Historical Society

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Des Peres Historical Society Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Des Peres Historical Society, Landmark & historical place, 12325 Manchester Road, Des Peres, MO.

Des Peres Historical Society honors Priscilla “Pep” Tomasovic, a longtime Des Peres resident whose life is deeply woven ...
10/12/2026

Des Peres Historical Society honors Priscilla “Pep” Tomasovic, a longtime Des Peres resident whose life is deeply woven into the history of our community. Pep recently passed away at the age of 90.

Drawing on her extensive experience in the floral industry, Pep helped write the History of Des Peres book, which was published in 1976. We are grateful that Pep took the time to sit with our Oral History Committee and share her memories.

Watch Pep’s interview and hear her tell these stories in her own words:

Meet 89-year-old Priscilla "Pep" Tomasovic, a resident of Des Peres...

On March 19, 1952, Archbishop Joseph Ritter founded St. Clement Parish and appointed Father Luke Naes as its first pasto...
09/13/2026

On March 19, 1952, Archbishop Joseph Ritter founded St. Clement Parish and appointed Father Luke Naes as its first pastor. The Archdiocese had purchased six acres from the Deutschmann family in 1951 (later expanded), and early Masses were held at St. Agnes Home and a temporary rectory on Bopp Road.

Ground broke in 1953 for the school, cafeteria, and temporary church. The parish grew quickly—by 1959 it had about 400 families and a peak school enrollment of 683 students, staffed by the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood. A permanent church followed in 1965 (the old one became the gym), and the community has thrived ever since as a vital part of Des Peres life.

[Photos by Francis Scheidegger and Ken Stovall; Courtesy of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis Archives]

Congratulations to Mary Ann Mercante, director of Des Peres Historical Society’s Acquisitions and Collections Committee,...
09/06/2026

Congratulations to Mary Ann Mercante, director of Des Peres Historical Society’s Acquisitions and Collections Committee, for successfully applying for and receiving a $600 grant from the Missouri State Genealogical Association for archival materials.

The committee is always looking for items, photos, and documents related to Des Peres history. Please contact us at [email protected] if you have items to share, or please stop by our office in City Hall on Monday afternoons.

Help Bring a Piece of Des Peres History Home!At a recent Board of Aldermen meeting, the Des Peres Historical Society for...
08/26/2026

Help Bring a Piece of Des Peres History Home!

At a recent Board of Aldermen meeting, the Des Peres Historical Society formally requested that the historic Lowe-Lindemann Cabin be rebuilt in Des Peres Park.

The approximately 200-year-old cabin is an important piece of Des Peres history—and we believe it deserves a permanent home in the community.

We have a plan to make the reconstruction happen without taxpayer money. DPHS has proposed privately raising the estimated $100,000 needed for reconstruction and donating the completed cabin to the City of Des Peres. Ongoing maintenance costs are expected to be minimal.

Now, our elected officials need to hear from the community.

If you support preserving this important piece of Des Peres history, please contact your Alderman and the Mayor. A personal email or phone call is ideal. If you live in Des Peres, please identify yourself as a resident.

Please sign our online petition here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQANMMSCyRKoH-v0pl3b7h93TDOjtHcbLJXeKM7ZJC2iuWEw/viewform?pli=1

Let’s show our community leaders that Des Peres wants to preserve its history—and bring the Lowe-Lindemann Cabin home.

Justice in the Old West (County):Summer of 1903: A 25-man Des Peres posse hunts down an escaping thief and delivers some...
08/11/2026

Justice in the Old West (County):

Summer of 1903: A 25-man Des Peres posse hunts down an escaping thief and delivers some small-town justice.

[The St. Louis Republic, June 4, 1903]

Several exciting discoveries were made during the recent dismantling of the Lowe-Lindemann cabin. In a folk magic tradit...
07/13/2026

Several exciting discoveries were made during the recent dismantling of the Lowe-Lindemann cabin. In a folk magic tradition dating to the Middle Ages, items appearing to be protective talismans or charms were found deliberately tucked into the stone foundation of the historic structure. Early American settlers brought this practice from Europe and would often place such objects under their homes to ward off evil spirits, malevolence, or bad luck.

The Lowe-Lindemann cabin features a multi-layered defense against supernatural attacks:

A prehistoric Native American spear point, found carefully buried just below the outcropping of a large foundation stone, is believed to be a “thunderstone.” In European folklore, many believed ancient stone points fell from the sky during storms. Placing them in a foundation was a common folklore practice meant to protect the home from lightning strikes.

Discovered near the spear point was a bola stone — a prehistoric hunting tool used to entangle the legs of prey, especially long-legged birds. When American settlers found these ancient tools, they did not know who made them. Stone tools were believed to possess ancient, magical power, and placing them in a human-built foundation created a powerful shield against spirits and curses.

In European folklore, malevolent forces like witches, fairies, and demons were deeply repelled by the strong, sturdy properties of iron. Discovered in the foundation of the cabin were iron chain links (believed to “bind” wandering spirits), an ax head (to aggressively cut evil entities), and a mule shoe (a classic European folk tradition meant to bring good luck to a home).

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 The 200th anniversary of American Independence was observed in Des Peres by two days of festivities on July 3 and...
07/04/2026

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 The 200th anniversary of American Independence was observed in Des Peres by two days of festivities on July 3 and 4, 1976. A large and colorful parade up Manchester Road was the highlight of the July 3 activities. July 4, 1976, was observed with an old-fashioned all-day picnic in the park including a fishing contest, the annual City softball game, and musical entertainment. The day of celebration ended with a spectacular fireworks display in the park.

Happy Fourth of July from DPHS! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 Big band legend, singer, and former Des Peres resident Tex Beneke is the featured tenor sax player on Glenn Mille...
07/02/2026

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 Big band legend, singer, and former Des Peres resident Tex Beneke is the featured tenor sax player on Glenn Miller’s classic 1942 recording of "American Patrol.” One of the most recognizable songs in swing era history. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

"American Patrol" by Glenn Miller & His OrchestraListen to Glenn M...

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12325 Manchester Road
Des Peres, MO
63131

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