All Entries in the "Architecture" Category
Rooms with a View: 9756 E Lookout Court
Among the rich tapestry of unique homes lining the Riverview bluff, this 1920s Spanish-style cottage just might be the coolest of them all.
In 1917, when Riverview Drive was nothing but a dirt road hugging the banks of the Mississippi, St. Louis real estate developers R.W. Sikking & Robert Beckwith hatched an ambitious plan. Eyeing the vast stretch of wooded hillside overlooking the river, they purchased 255 acres of prime bluff property and proceeded to sell off individual lots at a brisk pace.
Many of the buyers were well-heeled city dwellers like lumber magnate Ben Fry, who built a lavish 10-room residence with formal gardens and a grand pergola. But most of the homes constructed in the Riverview Gardens subdivision were actually summer cottages, chicken ranches and what the developers called “little city farms,” where men of modest means could work in the city, live in the country and grow their own food.
“The interest in Riverview Gardens,” said Sikking in a 1917 Post-Dispatch article, “is due to the fact that the home sites overlook the river and have the most attractive surroundings, including the magnificent Chain of Rocks Park and the long stretch of drive along the top of the towering bluff. The sites are in the country, in the sense that the homeowners can own their automobiles and raise enough [food] to pay the equivalent of rent; and they are in the city in the sense that they are right at the city limits, with street car service and other city conveniences.”
By 1919, Sikking & Beckwith were selling a “little city farm” every single day, at prices ranging from $250 to $500. But around the same time, others were flocking to the bluff for entirely different reasons, including the owners of Peabody Coal, who decided to build a tiny rustic cottage at 9756 E. Lookout Court. It was here, at this secluded half-acre hideaway with sweeping river views, that company higher-ups would escape to play cards, entertain women and sneak a drink during Prohibition.
A few years later, in 1926, legend has it that CEO Francis Peabody’s mother (or perhaps grandmother) wanted to use the cottage as a summer residence. But finding it a bit too small and rustic for her needs, she oversaw the construction of an addition, bringing the house to its current size of 1,000 square feet. She added two bedrooms, an indoor bathroom and a small basement, and reportedly lived there with a maid. She was also responsible for the Spanish Revival details on the exterior facade.
In 1951, after 30 years of ownership, the Peabody family sold the property to a couple who lived on Riverview Drive below. Unfortunately, the husband died soon after, leaving his widow to live alone in the cottage for another 40 years. She finally sold the home in 1991 to its third owner, Gena Scott, who has lovingly cared for it ever since.
Scott is an artist, a former antique store owner and an all-around free spirit, just like many of her neighbors on the bluff. And now that her health is declining, she is committed to finding the next owner and caretaker for this fantastic little rustic cottage.
During her time in the house, she often rose before dawn to paint, capturing the river’s changing colors in the sunlight. Her goal now is to share this one-of-a-kind haven with another creative soul, someone who will cherish the unique energy of the property and use the magnificent landscape for inspiration. Perhaps that person is you…
9756 E. Lookout Court is currently on the market for $98,000, including a half-acre of land. More photos and info available here.
If you’d like a buyer’s agent to show you this delightful vintage home on the most spectacular lot, I would be more than happy. Contact me at (314) 359-5927 or shannon@STLhomeswithsoul.com.
1865 S. New Florissant: a fixer-upper Spanish gem
Built in 1932, this adorable Spanish Revival house sits in a private corner of Florissant on nearly an acre. It's also priced crazy cheap...
Whenever I drive past this classic 1932 bungalow perched high atop a shady hill on Florissant Road, I can’t help but think of Los Angeles. The home’s Spanish Revival style, so popular during Hollywood’s golden era, is a common sight in southern California, gracing everything from sprawling mansions to old movie theaters. But here in the Midwest, well….these babies are pretty rare.
Even more unusual is the fact that this house sits on close to an acre – a peaceful, private oasis you would never expect. Also surprising (or maybe not, considering the economy): it’s listed for just $25,500!
From what I can tell, the property was once part of the Andrew Harper estate – a totally cool story on its own. If you’re ever driving south on Florissant Road (just south of Highway 270), turn right on a street called Bascom and be prepared to have your jaw drop. You’ll pass one modest cracker box after another, nothing special. Then all of a sudden, you’ll see a big ol’ Federal-style house halfway down the street, almost like it’s out of a time warp. It was built around 1840, prior to the Civil War, and it remains one of the oldest houses in St. Louis County.
Businessman Andrew Harper lived here from roughly 1845 to 1878, but by 1925 a subsequent owner began selling off the land for development. The charming brick bungalows along Jean Drive were part of that initial building phase, back when Florissant Road was still a rural route and 270 didn’t even exist. Our sweet little Spanish house at #1865 came just a bit later.
As you can see in this aerial view, the property stretches waaaayyyy back from Florissant Road. Behind it is another very long parcel – the site of another gorgeous private estate, circa 1927. But that one’s not for sale. This one is….
Typical of foreclosures, the condition is definitely rough, but OH, what potential! I might even buy this house myself! It has three bedrooms and 1.5 baths in 1,002 square feet – which is small, yes. But there’s plenty of space to expand.
You get a half story upstairs, a full basement downstairs and a “two-car detached garage” that, quite frankly, should probably be torn down. Just looking around the outside of the house, I see water damage on the front porch, huge original gutters that probably need to be updated/repaired, and original windows that should either be re-glazed or replaced. I also smelled a slightly musty odor, so who knows what the basement has going on. Maybe it just needs fresh air??
On the positive side, the basement does have nice glass block windows. There are also many original details throughout the house, including lovely wood moldings, decorative vent grates, period doors and lighting, hardwood floors (some under carpet) and a fabulous Spanish-style fireplace (painted blue). More good news: the HVAC unit looks newer and a good deal of the back yard is fenced.
All in all, this house is most certainly a project waiting to happen. But for $25,500, you could renovate the whole place and still come out ahead. And just imagine the garden you could grow on your .78 acres! There’s even room for an orchard…
For more information about 1865 S. New Florissant, which is conveniently located mere seconds from Highway 270, check out the official listing or contact realtor Jamie Loftus at (314) 731-0006.
Green Acres: a slice of Europe in North County
Built in 1928, this fairy tale cottage on Bellefontaine Road marks the entrance to Green Acres, one of North County's most enchanting neighborhoods.
Every once in a while, I wind up somewhere in North County that most St. Louisans would never guess is located in this part of town. If I showed them a photo, ten bucks says they’d guess West County or Clayton, maybe even Ladue. But nope, these amazing gems are right here in NoCo….unique examples of vintage architecture that still feel steeped in another era.
One of my all-time favorites is a subdivision in Bellefontaine Neighbors called Green Acres, which features old world European-style homes from the 1920s and 30s, as well as a nice mix of mid-century ranches. I drove through recently and was still charmed by the meandering streets and “village” feel, not to mention the handful of houses that look like they came straight out of the French countryside…
Subdivided in the 1920s, when the Bellefontaine Neighbors area was still rural and sparsely populated, Green Acres served as a convenient retreat for well-to-do residents from the city of St. Louis, who usually traveled Bellefontaine Road to get there. Named North Broadway within the city limits, Bellefontaine had once been a frontier-era military route used by Meriwether Lewis and Daniel Bissell, but by the early 20th century it was known more as a great place for a Sunday drive, especially for those visiting local cemeteries like New Bethlehem.
In the 20s & 30s, decades before Bellefontaine Neighbors was actually incorporated as a city, the area was home to an eclectic variety of people, including socialites Maude and Hattie Gibson, who frequently hosted grand parties at their Italianate mansion, Tanglewood (c.1866), which still stands near the corner of Chambers and Bellefontaine. A 1922 Post-Dispatch article references a dance they held for their cousins, who were visiting from the Ivy League colleges Smith and Princeton.
Around the same time, just up the road, police raided the farm of Mrs. Alma Wilhelmy, whose barn was found chock full of moonshine. Another local farmer, Charles Lengue, was also found with an active distillery in his barn.
So we had moonshiners, mourners and rich folks – that’s the atmosphere in which the whimsy of Green Acres came to life. And it wouldn’t be the first time this quirky subdivision had a brush with drama…
In 1950, gangster Leo Brothers, an associate of Al Capone, was shot to death in his home at #34 Green Acres. Then around 2005, another resident claimed that her neighbor – a gay Wiccan who liked to sweep his driveway in high heels – put a voodoo curse on her daughter. Seriously.
I’m not sure if that last bit is still going on (hope not), but overall, Green Acres remains a charming, unique enclave where residents are tight-knit and few houses ever go up for sale. Right now, one of the subdivision’s newer homes – a 1951 brick ranch – is on the market for a staggeringly low price. You can see it in the slideshow below, along with a few other photos from this lovely corner of North County…
NoCo’s Streamline Beauty: 11851 Benham Road
Built in 1938, this Art Deco gem in unincorporated North County is currently for sale at a bargain price.
As I mentioned back in January, one of the most striking historical homes in North County has recently hit the market. Resting on a wooded acre just a stone’s throw from Highway 367, the Art Deco beauty at 11851 Benham is one of only a handful of streamline modern houses in all of St. Louis.
I grew up admiring this unusual home, always wondering who built it and why, and sometime around 1995, I actually got to go inside for an estate sale. It was apparent to me then, as it was even more so during a recent visit, that many, many years have passed since somebody really gave this house the love and care it deserves.
Built in 1938 by an electrician named Everett Fry, who purchased the land several years earlier, the two-story brick structure originally had a rural address – Box 796 on Highway 99. According to St. Louis County historian Esley Hamilton, it resembles some of the smaller, Deco-style homes built in Velda Village Hills in the late 30s, but the architect remains unknown.
Mr. Fry owned the house until 1956, when it was sold to the Boone family, who lived there for more than 30 years. Since then, it has changed hands numerous times and clearly suffered neglect. During the past five years, it even lost its quirky metal awnings, which were still intact when my fellow blogger Toby Weiss covered the property back in 2007.
Perhaps that’s why the current list price on this bank-owned steal is just $54,900. And yet there’s so much potential here!
Thanks to realtor Benjamin Nichols, I was able to take a private tour of the property last week, and what I found both thrilled and saddened me. Yes, this house needs a lot of work. But no, it has definitely not lost its vintage charm or unique Art Deco style.
Why not take a peek inside…
In my opinion, 11851 Benham could make a beautiful home given some proper love and attention. Considering its visibility, tranquil setting and overall layout, it could also be an exceptional site for a day spa, therapeutic massage practice or artist’s studio/gallery, though you would need to obtain a zoning variance first.
For more info about this incredible property, check out the full listing or contact real estate agent Benjamin Nichols at (314) 914-0027.
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