We I spent Saturday morning wandering up and down the streets of St. Charles, Missouri. Right in the middle of the row of old storefronts was this building.
In 1821, when Missouri was about to become a state, Jefferson City was chosen as the capital. But there was no Jefferson City at the time, so a temporary capital had to be found. St. Charles was chosen because they offered this building free of charge. For the next five years, this was the seat of the state government.
The first floor had two rooms. In one, the brothers Charles and Ruluff Peck operated a general store. In the other, they lived with their families.
We had a tour to ourselves. Our guide was an enthusiastic young woman named Ashley who tried to compare the artifacts to 21st century technology, (obviously designed to impress school children), which got annoying quickly. But as the tour continued and we showed genuine interest and friendliness, she relaxed and gave us a more personal tour.
The senate chamber
The house
The Peck Brothers store
I’ve taken many of these tours, but there’s always something new to learn. That black brick on the counter is tea. Part of a brick has been ground into the pan next to it.
The Peck Brothers living quarters
None of the furnishings were original to the building, but all were period pieces. I neglected to take a photo of the drive-up window. It opened into the store from the carriage passageway through the center of the building.