Our 2008 Building Campaign Is Now Underway!

We Need Your Help To Make The Missouri Civil War Museum Become A Reality

One would expect that if you have entered this particular web page, and are reading this text right now, you must have some emotional or patriotic feeling regarding the history and heritage of Missouri and/or the American Civil War. You may be a descendant of a Civil War veteran, or you are associated with a Civil War related group, or you are a Civil War buff, or just like history and/or Jefferson Barracks. For whatever the reason may have been that brought you to our “Building Campaign Page,” we thank you for taking the time to explore our Web site. We hope that you will take a few more minutes and read the rest of this page and learn and understand more about our unique endeavor and our current situation here at historic Jefferson Barracks.

To put it simply, we are a 100 percent grassroots organization that has been raising awareness and resources for the past five years to restore our historic building and create a wonderful educational center in memory of our Civil War ancestors. We firmly believe that the dream of establishing this premier Civil War museum, library and educational center dedicated to Missouri here in St. Louis has fallen upon the shoulders of us, the people who are in fact, the ultimate recipients of our ancestor’s hardships and sacrifices.

It is important to understand that the St. Louis area sent more soldiers into the Civil War than any other city west of the Mississippi River and Jefferson Barracks had a tremendous role in the organization, training, and care of many of these very soldiers. Jefferson Barracks now has the honor and responsibility of caring for the 16,000 Union and Confederate soldiers that are at rest here in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. In fact, our cemetery has the largest concentration of Civil War graves in all of Missouri. Having been established in 1826, Jefferson Barracks remains today the oldest active military post west of the Mississippi River.

Many historians agree that Jefferson Barracks is without question one of the most historically significant, if not the most significant, Civil War site in Missouri. The Civil War soldiers that once occupied these very grounds are some of the most prominent and legendary leaders of the Civil War. Confederate President Jefferson Davis served here along with Generals Lee, Sherman, Grant, Sheridan, Longstreet, Bragg, Custer, Hancock, Pickett, Buell, Johnston and some two hundred other Civil War generals at one time or another. In fact, it is more difficult to come up with a list of Civil War leaders who were not here at the Barracks than to make one of those who were here. The historical significance of our site goes on and on and you can learn more by going to our “Education page” of the web site.

The point we are making to you is that with all of this magnificent Civil War history and heritage, not only here at Jefferson Barracks but all of St. Louis and the rest of Missouri, there is no significant educational facility in place at this time that preserves and promotes Missouri’s complete Civil War history. Children today are growing up idolizing pop stars, sports athletes and entertainers as their “modern day heroes” instead of learning and paying homage to some of the “true American patriots and heroes” of the past who through their sacrifices and suffering helped shape and build this great nation.

Without facilities such as the Missouri Civil War Museum, our children have no place to go to learn more about our state’s rich history and heritage. This is why we must succeed in establishing our facility in memory of those who sacrificed their own lives so we could all have a better place to live. We owe it to our ancestors as well as our children to build this facility so the amazing story of the American Civil War is never forgotten in the minds and hearts of all Missourians.

One hundred and forty three years have now passed since the Civil War and still in the St. Louis metropolitan area there is no adequate educational facility here focusing and specializing in Missouri’s involvement in the American Civil War.

We receive NO STATE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING for this project which is disappointing because it was the federal and state governments that for the most part encouraged and propelled these soldiers into battle against each other. The task in raising funds and awareness to build this facility in their honor has thus fallen upon us the people of this great state and our fellow supporters throughout the nation. We have hundreds of members from 16 states and the District of Columbia.

Only the government of St. Louis County has thus far understood our mission and has supported this project from its inception. Until the day comes that state and federal funding assists us in this project, we must rely solely on the generosity of people like you to help complete the mission to honor Missouri's Civil War history.

Our immediate goal in 2008 is to raise enough financial support to replace all of the building’s one hundred and three windows and doors by the end of this year. The cost of doing this is approximately one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000). Below is a chart that shows a typical breakdown of where our yearly financial support normally comes from. The largest category we receive funding from at this time is from corporate & business support, followed by individual public support from people such as you. Please notice the small amount we actually receive from private foundations and the total lack of any government financial support at all.

If you believe in our cause, we would sincerely appreciate it if you would choose a support category in the upper left section of this page under “Get Involved” or make an immediate monetary tax-deductible contribution now by clicking the “Make A Contribution” bar below. Remember those famous words of Lincoln himself:

“It is rather for us the living rather… to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take an increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.”

Well, there are some of us who believe that these legends of the past did not die in vain and you too can help us keep their memory alive for future generations by making the Missouri Civil War Museum become a reality. The 150th anniversary of the American Civil War will be here in three short years and what a great tribute it would be for them to have this facility in place and in operation for their celebration. Help us make history by doing your part in helping preserve it.

For everyone who makes a donation of $25.00 or more, they will receive a Missouri Civil War Museum t-shirt as a small token of our appreciation.

For everyone who makes a donation of $250.00 or more, they will receive a Missouri Civil War Museum t-shirt and a MCWM embroidered jacket as a small token of our appreciation.

Please don’t delay, contribute today!

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If you are experiencing any difficulty purchasing an item, please contact us directly at:
Museum Office: 314-845-1861 or webmaster@mcwm.org