Historic Washington Missouri

Washington, Missouri is located in Franklin County and is about a 55 minute drive from St. Louis. It is right in the middle of Missouri wine country and on the Missouri Wine Trail with twelve wineries within minutes of Washington. Shops and boutiques, restaurants and cafes, antiques, bed & breakfasts, many located in historical buildings, abound in Washington!

Historic Washington History

Early Washington settlers were people who followed Daniel Boone from Kentucky. German immigrants arrived in 1833, brought to Washington by tales of how the area was reminiscent of their homeland. Located along the Missouri River, Washington is a perfect river landing and a ferry was used to cross the river up until 1936 when a bridge was built. One man and his wife, William and Lucinda Owens, were very instrumental in forming the town of Washington into what it is today. They came to the area in 1818 and eventually purchased 50 acres of land that they sold off in town lots. In 1839, Lucinda Owens filed a plat of the city in the county courthouse which officially established the city of Washington.

Historic Washington Historic Landmarks

Washington has many historical homes, buildings, and commercial districts that are on the National Register of Historical Places. One of them is the John B. Busch Brewery Historic district. John B. Busch, brother to Adolphus Busch, established a brewery in 1854 in Washington and brewed the first Busch beer. The brewery was closed 1954, having been in business for 100 years. Another historic district is the Tibbe Historic District. This is a residential area with about 30 homes that were built in the late 19th and early 20th century, most of which remain unchanged from when they were built. This large portion of this area was developed by Henry Tibbe, whose company manufactured corn-cobb pipes. There are four more historic districts including the Downtown Washington Historic District.

Historic Washington Annual Events & Festivals

Washington Missouri has many festivals and annual events including:

-Farmer's Market: occurs on Saturdays, April through October | local produce, baked goods and crafts.

-Annual Art Fair & Winefest: occurs in May | sample wines from Missouri Wineries while enjoying art from artist of many regions.

-Washington Town & Country Fair: occurs in August | enjoy entertainment, livestock exhibits, motor sport events, and more. An admission is charged.

-Fall Festival of the Arts & Crafts: occurs in September | Arts and Crafts booths, food, live entertainment, special children's area.

-Chili Cook-off: occurs in October | sample chili from more than 20 organizations.

-Holiday Parade of Lights: occurs on the Friday after Thanksgiving | the highlight of Downtown Washington Christmas season, 40 floats. Parade starts at 5pm.

-Washington's Old Fashioned Christmas: held on the Sunday after Thanksgiving | free to the public, Christmas carolers, carriage rides, refreshments, children's crafts.

See the Washington, Missouri website for more information on these and other events that happen throughout the year!

Historic Washington Missouri Address and Phone Numbers

Historic Washington Missouri
Visitor Center
301 W. Front Street
Washington, MO 63090
636-239-7575 (Visitors Center)
636-239-2715 (Chamber of Commerce)

Historic Washington Missouri Related Links:

Visti Washington Missouri Website, Washington Missouri Chamber of Commerce, Washington Missouri Website