Mark Trout, a former Marine, police officer and general contractor, is largely responsible. In 2002, he was at the Jefferson Barracks for a swap meet and saw the deteriorating condition of the red-brick Post Exchange and Gymnasium Building.
St. Louis County owns it and Trout held a campaign to raise funds to restore it. A ten-year effort by his organization raised $1.7 million In addition, he donated his small collection of Civil War artifacts which has since grown to include nearly every type of item that would have been used by a soldier in that conflict.
One of the exhibits is dedicated to Charles Bieyer, a private in the 4th Missouri Cavalry, who braved enemy fire to rescue his captain who had been shot from his horse at the Battle of Ivy Farm in Missouri. The exhibit has his spurs, portrait, saber, musket and his two Medals of Honor.
Another exhibit is of a stuffed horse to honor the more than one million horses who also died during the war.
The 16,000 square-foot museum is open 9-5 daily and visitors to the museum can go on a self-guided tour. Admission is $7.
Now, work is taking place on a smaller 1915 building located next door with plans to turn it into a library and research facility.
--Old Secesh
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