U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) released the following statement today after attending a ceremonial signing of the cooperative agreements that will ensure Ste. Genevieve historic properties are preserved, marking the final statutory step needed to establish Ste. Genevieve as a national park.

“Generations of Ste. Genevieve residents have worked painstakingly to preserve and share this unique part of our nation’s French colonial history,” said Blunt. “Thanks to their efforts, Ste. Genevieve will now be a part of our National Park System. This process took a lot of time and dedication on the part of all involved, and I appreciate their partnership in getting to this final step today. I hope even more Americans will take the opportunity to visit Ste. Genevieve and experience the rich history that defines Missouri’s oldest town.”

Blunt joined public officials, members of the community, and National Park Service (NPS) employees at today’s ceremony. In July, Blunt attended a roundtable discussion with the NPS and toured the Bequette-Ribault House and Amoureux House.

In March, Blunt’s legislation to establish the Ste. Genevieve National Historic Park and designate it as a unit of the NPS was signed into law. Blunt introduced similar legislation in May 2016. The NPS released its final Ste. Genevieve Special Resource Study in May 2016, which found that portions of the Ste. Genevieve historic district met the criteria for inclusion in the National Park System.

Ste. Genevieve was founded as a French colony in the early 1700s and is Missouri’s oldest town. The Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park will showcase nearly 300 years of history, including centuries-old homes featuring French colonial architecture.