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A NoCo mystery: the Legend of Capitol Hill
Near Hudson & Old Halls Ferry in unincorporated NoCo, you'll find #3 Capitol Hill, a grand pre-Civil War mansion with an intriguing history.
I remember the first time I saw it, catching just a glimpse as my mom drove by. Even at 12 years old, I knew that the old house on Capitol Hill had a great story to tell.
Perched on a huge corner lot overlooking Halls Ferry Road, it stuck out like a rose among daisies, the only antebellum mansion in a neighborhood full of 1950s ranches. I didn’t know who built it, or when, but as soon as I started asking around, the rumors poured in: That house is haunted. It was built by slaves. It was almost the state capitol.
I tried to research further, poring over library books and microfiche, but never really got anywhere. Then 27 years later, a man named Glenn Smith moved in across the street from me, and guess where he grew up? The old house on Capitol Hill.
Glenn and I traded stories, and I learned that his childhood home was built in 1842 by a farmer named French something-or-other. It was not haunted, as far as he remembered, but he and his brother did enjoy scaring guests in their “ghost sheets.” They also played ping-pong on the roof and indoor soccer in the massive 50-foot living room. And Glenn recalled three legends about the house:
- It was once considered for the state capitol.
- It’s sometimes called Heartbreak Hill for the grieving mother who lived there and accidentally started a huge fire.
- It might have been a stop on the Underground Railroad.
That piqued my curiosity, of course, but I still didn’t dive into the research. Then out of the blue, #3 Capitol Hill went into foreclosure, hitting the market about a month ago. It was selling for $42,000 – which is pretty amazing considering it’s a 3,800-square-foot home on nearly an acre – and I knew I couldn’t miss the opportunity to explore further. What I didn’t expect is the mysterious and, yes, sometimes heartbreaking story that would unravel.
I might as well start at the beginning…
This is French Rayburn.
In 1834, he moved to St. Louis from Nashville, Tennessee, to help manage a branch of the Cumberland Iron Works, a huge iron manufacturing company owned by his family. Just 19 at the time, he later married Catherine Stacker, whose father had also amassed a large fortune in the iron industry, and by 27, French was a “retired” gentleman farmer overseeing hundreds of acres in what’s now North County.
His largest parcel was near the Halls Ferry wedge, on the wooden plank road that ran from Baden all the way to Edward Hall’s ferry on the Missouri River. It was here that he (or more likely, his slaves) built a sprawling brick mansion in 1842, reportedly an exact replica of a house that once stood near his wife’s hometown in Lafayette, Tennessee.
French and Catherine Rayburn had four children while living on their farm: Samuel, Cora, Mary Elsie and Catherine French. Unfortunately, two of the girls died as teenagers, “just as they were budding into beautiful womanhood,” and legend has it that Mrs. Rayburn never recovered from the grief.
While pacing the hallway late one night, she allegedly dropped her oil lamp down the back staircase, setting one whole wing of the mansion ablaze. Her servants were able to pull her to safety but a significant portion of the 5,000-square-foot house was destroyed, including most of the second floor and an observation tower on the third floor.
Mrs. Rayburn died a few years later, on April 26, 1881, following what was publicly referred to as a “lingering illness,” and privately a “situation.” She was 57. According to some accounts, neighbors began to see strange lights flickering in and around the mansion soon after. One witness also claimed to hear crying sounds.
The identical headstones of Cora & Mary Elsie Rayburn at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Each is topped with a broken vase of flowers, carved in stone.
Five years after Mrs. Rayburn died, her daughter Catherine followed. She was 25 and passed away suddenly at the Lindell Hotel – a grand St. Louis landmark that burned down the next month. (Salvaged limestone from the Lindell was used to create the “ruins” at Tower Grove Park.)
Catherine’s funeral was held at the farm on Capitol Hill, where her father, French Rayburn, would die two years later in 1888. He was 73 at the time and had outlived every single member of his immediate family, except his son, Samuel, who would also die a few months later at the age of 45.
The Rayburns in happier days, at their mansion on Capitol Hill.
As of 1909, Samuel’s wife and two daughters still owned much of the Rayburn farm, though some of the acreage had been sold off. By the 1910 census, they had all moved away and were living in the city of St. Louis.
Perhaps that’s when they sold the mansion, or perhaps they held on a little longer, as the “Missouri Historical Research Record” suggests:
“The lovely home had a reputation for sadness and trouble, and the owners, reluctant to see the house deteriorate, offered free rent to anyone who would live there and take care of the place. The free-rent offers had no takers, and the house stood lonely and bare, save for its melancholy memories and spectres of sadness.”
I haven’t researched the property’s full deed history yet but I do know that in the 1950s, a family named DeLargy owned #3 Capitol Hill. They reportedly altered the interior of the house, removing old door knobs and other original details, and there may have been a second fire under their watch. Also around the same time, a Rayburn descendent by the name of Mrs. DeCamp was said to have the mansion’s original rosewood furniture at her home in Dayton, Ohio.
My neighbor Glenn Smith didn’t move to Capitol Hill until 1972 or so, when he remembers the house being in “atrocious” condition, with vandalism and spray paint everywhere. His family cleaned things up and stayed until the early 80s, frequently heating the huge dwelling with a wood stove in the living room.
Here’s what the mansion looked like back then, in this 1984 photo from the Bellefontaine Cemetery collection….
And here’s what it looks like today… Click image #1 to start the tour.
OK, so now we’ve seen the house. How about those legends? Are they actually true? Here’s what I know….
I visited Capitol Hill recently with my neighbor Glenn and his dad, Gene, who told me about a large brick cistern that used to collect water on the northwest side of the property. Glenn and his brother climbed down into it once, finding the remains of an old brick tunnel that had collapsed in on itself, and they always wondered if maybe the tunnel was a slave escape route leading to the nearby creek.
French Rayburn did own slaves. I’m almost certain of that. I haven’t found them on any recorded documents so far (other than the old photo above), but nearly all of the wealthy land owners in pre-war North County were slaveholders at some point.
James Bissell, the son of General Daniel Bissell and a close friend of French Rayburn, was known to buy and sell numerous slaves throughout Missouri. In 1854, he and Rayburn even used slaves to help build the church they founded, Bellefontaine Methodist, which still stands today.
Beyond that, both Rayburn and his wife hailed from families that made their fortunes in iron ore production – an industry that relied heavily on slave labor. Catherine Rayburn’s father, Samuel Stacker, personally owned dozens of slaves in Tennessee, and was said to be strongly pro-Confederacy during the Civil War.
French Rayburn also sided with the South, to the extent that he made the 1866 “List of Disloyal and Disenfranchised Persons in St. Louis County,” a roster of 8,500 local men who refused to sign a loyalty oath after the war.
Does that mean he definitely owned slaves? Or prove that his house was connected to the Underground Railroad? No, certainly not. But it does raise another interesting question….
Legend has it that Capitol Hill got its name after being considered as a location for the Missouri state capitol, that it even lost in a tight vote to St. Charles. But I can find zero evidence of that.
What I did discover is that Missouri actually had two capitol buildings during the Civil War – one for the Union and one for the Confederacy. And I’m wondering if maybe French Rayburn, who served in the Missouri legislature in 1858, proposed his home as a potential rebel headquarters?
I have no firm proof of this, but it does seem to be a better explanation. Rayburn was a “pronounced Democrat,” after all, with strong southern ties and a powerful, politically connected brother who could’ve pulled plenty of strings. But for now, I’m just speculating.
As for the ghost of Catherine Rayburn, who supposedly haunts Capitol Hill, I hate to say it but the evidence is also pretty thin.
Around 1968, visitors did heard the rustle of crinoline skirts on the staircase, despite the property being vacant. And sometime during the 1950s, rumors circulated that ethereal blue lights could be seen dancing all around the mansion and surrounding yard.
More recently, maybe 10-12 years ago, there was also some unusual activity during renovations, when a contractor apparently saw a woman dressed in “old-fashioned clothes” watching him through the living room window. As he moved closer for a better look, she simply vanished, and he was so spooked, he picked up his tools and never came back.
That’s the story anyway. But whether it’s true is anyone’s guess. All I know is that I’ve been to #3 Capitol Hill several times now, including once at night, and there’s no doubt that it has a lot of….atmosphere.
While standing alone in the foyer a few weeks ago, I am certain that I heard a faint female voice in the front parlor. I walked over to investigate, only to hear the same voice 30 feet away in the living room. I also felt an overwhelming sense of sadness on the back half of the second floor, days before I knew anything about the fire that had taken place there.
Was it my mind playing tricks on me? Maybe. Or perhaps 170 years of history, compounded by the heartbreak of a grieving mother, really does linger at the Rayburn mansion…
Thanks to the Smith family and the folks at Historic Florissant, Bellefontaine Cemetery and the Missouri History Museum Library for providing assistance with this article! If anyone has anything to add to the story, please leave a comment below or contact me at shannon@NOCOstl.com. By the way, #3 Capitol Hill is currently under contract.
UPDATE: Reader Laura Birmingham has confirmed that French Rayburn actually owned 10 slaves in 1850, according to the U.S. Census slave schedules, and 17 slaves & 2 slave houses in 1860. Here’s the record from 1850, with the last three columns representing age, gender and race.
Photo Essay: Dave Naumann’s Native NoCo
An adventurer at heart, local attorney Dave Naumann likes going off the beaten path to explore the hidden natural areas of North County.
As the year closes out and I look back at all the reasons I’ve had to be grateful in 2011, I can’t help but think of you, dear NOCO readers. Since I launched this blog two years ago, I’ve gotten to meet so many amazing people, both here in North County and throughout St. Louis. Hundreds of you have emailed with story ideas or insightful comments, and quite a few have even offered to help. Thank you!
One of those generous “helpers” is David Naumann, a Florissant attorney and lifelong NoCo resident whose passion is hiking and biking North County’s many unspoiled pockets of wilderness. Dave knows the area’s trails and hidden pathways probably better than anyone, and lucky for us, he always brings a camera along.
He has been offering to share his images for months now, and I finally got a chance to pull them all together. I have to admit, some of them are so gorgeous, they even made me wonder if they’re really in North County. But of course they are!
Many thanks to Dave Naumann for these beautiful photos, and to everyone who read NOCO and supported North County this year! You are truly appreciated!! Enjoy…
The Emporium: a North County salon like no other
Celebrating its grand opening on August 14, Ferguson's Emporium Salon offers traditional spa services with a holistic and organic twist.
I can’t remember exactly where I met Suz Pratt for the first time, but I do know that I liked her immediately. Suz is just one of those people who radiates positive energy, and as soon as we started talking, I felt like I had reconnected with a long lost friend.
A petite redhead and certainly old soul, Suz has a nurturing personality that feels like a nice warm blanket on a cold day. She’s also what you might call a visionary salon owner.
Visionary not because she was the first board-certified hair colorist in the state of Missouri, or because she was a pioneer in the development of “organic” hair color. No, Suz is visionary because she truly has a vision.
Formerly the owner of the Hair Emporium in Florissant, the veteran cosmetologist recently fulfilled a longtime “calling” by moving her business to a cozy old storefront in Ferguson, renaming it the Emporium Salon, and transforming it into far more than just a beauty shop. Using her extensive knowledge of holistic medicine and natural remedies, Suz now runs a unique wellness center and day spa that tends not just to the hair and body, but also to the mind and spirit.
Equal parts salon, apothecary, museum and lending library, the Emporium Salon nestles the back edge of Ferguson’s historic Bindbeutel building, a circa-1895 National Register property that’s also the largest Victorian-era commercial building left in St. Louis County. Step inside and you’ll find a wee but inviting space that’s just like Suz herself – a little bit quirky, a little bit mystical, and a little bit rock n’ roll.
Antique dressers and Suz’s massive “lucky” mirror line one wall, defining her actual work station. But look around and you’ll also discover a whirlwind of sensory delights – lush plants, sparkly crystals, weathered shelves of emerald green elixir bottles, just like an old pharmacy. Suz has even hung vintage beauty shop memorabilia from the ceiling and plastered one hallway with vintage concert posters, but her favorite parts of the salon are her colorful handmade educational displays, which discuss old-world approaches to health and hygiene.
“Bohemian is definitely a good word for it,” Suz, 47, says of her shop. “But more than anything, I want this to be a place where people just feel comfortable…where they can rejuvenate and heal and hopefully learn something.”
Suz Pratt explains the magic of her gem-infused elixir waters
As far as services, the Emporium Salon offers everything that a traditional salon does – hair cuts, color, facials, manicures, etc. And Suz, a lifelong NoCo resident who grew up in Moline Acres, truly is a skilled stylist and aesthetician. The key distinction is that she only works with all-natural products, which is awesome. Oh, and she’s a “lightworker.”
That means she takes a holistic (or whole self) approach with each of her clients, tending to the health of their physical body but also to their spiritual and energetic body as well.
“I’m not here to diagnose people or do anything that interferes with Western medicine or someone’s religious beliefs,” Suz says. “What I do is share the knowledge I have about these old-style home cures, which have been around forever and do work. I also think I’m a natural cycle-buster, in that I help people make a fresh start on their life journey…I can help them heal on many levels.”
One treatment that Suz uses frequently is the castor oil pack, a folk remedy also known as palma Christi, or palm of Christ, which the famous medical intuitive Edgar Cayce frequently touted for its remarkable healing powers. Applied to the afflicted area, castor oil packs have been known to treat everything from liver toxicity and poor digestion to headaches and circulatory issues.
Suz is also a big proponent of homeopathic Bach flower remedies, which were developed by a British physician in the 1930s, as well as gem-infused elixir waters, which she makes herself by “charging” water with sunlight or moonlight and precious gems like smoky quartz, garnet or rose quartz.
“Rose quartz can work wonders on a sunburn, and garnet can help speed up healing,” Suz says, explaining that she performs all of her spa services using elixir water that’s specially chosen for each client. “It just depends on what that person needs. Like if they needed to clear out some negative energy, I might do a facial using smoky quartz with Thieves Oil (a centuries-old herbal blend). That can be really powerful.”
Rejuvenate your cells underneath Suz's specially designed crystal grid
Also powerful, Suz believes, is the impact of blood type on your diet. Seven years ago, inspired by the work of Dr. Peter D’Adamo, she gave up meat and alcohol to suit her type-A blood and she insists she’s never felt better.
“I just knew if I was going to help people, I needed to have my own act together,” Suz says. “But I’m still a naughty girl. I still smoke. Just now I count my poisons and limit them so I can stay healthy and balanced.”
If you want to learn more about Suz’s “poisons” philosophy, she’ll happily tell you. She’s also incredibly open about her family, her spiritual journey, her aversion to electronics, and the fact that money is far from her primary motivation.
“None of this has ever been about the money,” she says. “For me, this salon is more of a social experiment…. Really, I wonder every day, how many people can I help?”
Suz already draws clients (of all ages, races and beliefs) from across the metro area, but since opening in Ferguson, her schedule has been busier than ever. “This is such a cool, motivated, spiritual place, I really feel at home,” she says. “I can already tell that I’m needed here, and I love that, since all I really want to do is help people and bring more light to this community.”
The Emporium Salon, located at 18 Church Street, is holding its grand opening celebration tomorrow, August 14, from 1-4pm. Suz is giving away several great prizes, and all are welcome!
The public is also invited to a special event on September 11, when the Emporium is offering chakra imaging (with a 15-page report) for just $40. For more info, call Suz Pratt at (314) 831-9074. By the way, the salon only accepts cash and checks.
Stop by the Emporium and you might meet Suz's daughter Chelsea. If you ask, you might also learn about using family "life charts" to erase bad karma and heal emotional wounds.
The Gardens of NoCo: Chan Mahanta
Chan Mahanta's colorful prairie garden is a gem of the Old Jamestown area.
“In wildness is the preservation of the world,” wrote Henry David Thoreau, and I’m pretty sure Chan Mahanta agrees. This talented local gardener has created a wondrously wild native prairie in his front yard, which NOCO’s newest contributor, JoAnn Batzer, recently had a chance to visit. Here’s what she learned…
Chan Mahanta doesn’t flinch about a tour bus dropping off more than 40 botanical garden professionals in his driveway. Visiting groups from the Perennial Plant Association or even famed garden writer and designer Noel Kingsbury don’t worry him either.
Chan can stand his own ground (literally!) with elite horticultural visitors from all over the globe, mostly because he has worked incredibly hard on his Old Jamestown property and it shows. The 1.5-acre prairie in his front yard was awarded the top prize for an amateur in the 2004 St. Louis Post-Dispatch Great Garden Contest, serving as an exquisite example of native plant use in a residential environment.
Chan Mahanta
An architect by trade, Chan designed his impressive home overlooking the Missouri River in 1997, moving there with his wife, Banti, from Creve Coeur. Originally from India, he was fascinated at an early age by the American landscape, often thumbing through comic books featuring Native Americans, cowboys and bison herds that roamed the early prairie.
During college he also saw The Vanishing Prairie, a 1954 Disney nature documentary, and it became etched in his memory. But it wasn’t until moving from California to St. Louis (and ultimately North County) that Chan realized he could finally fulfill his dream of creating his own native prairie. In 1999, he started his current garden entirely by seed.
Looking back, he admits he should have prepared the site better, as a few areas had to be reseeded twice. But by three years in, the prairie gradually became established, and today it’s a showpiece with more than 60 varieties of wildflowers, warm season grasses and native plants.
June and July are peak bloom times, but prairie gardens hold year round interest. In winter, the dry grasses and seed heads are not only aesthetic, but provide wildlife food and habitat, proving that the prairie isn’t just a ‘garden’ but an entire ecosystem.
Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta.) and blue false indigo (Baptisia australis) provide stunning color during the summer, while grasses like big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) offer subtle texture and color in the winter.
A huge plus to the garden is the low maintenance. Now that the prairie is established, Chan only puts in 4-6 hours a month of upkeep. No irrigation, fertilizing or weekly mowing is needed! Just battling the ever encroaching honeysuckle and other non-native weeds is his main duty at this point.
Once a year in mid to late February, he brush-hogs the vegetation down to the ground, gets a burn permit from the local fire district and then carefully burns the remnants. The prairie doesn’t need to be burnt every year, but Chan prefers to do it to keep the woody weeds in check and deny the voles and mice shelter all winter. In the spring, the area quickly rejuvenates and provides shelter and color once again.
Chan’s garden also hosts a wildlife-friendly pond and waterfall feature along with a vegetable garden. The wooded back of the property provides a natural contrast between the sunny prairie in front, while two deck areas offer private, shady spots to watch the river either from the bluff or at the water’s edge.
Active in the Old Jamestown Association, Chan would love to see more native plants and prairie plantings in the area. Always willing to share his experience, he has already assisted neighbors in establishing prairie gardens nearby, and his newest endeavor is beekeeping – another important aspect of the prairie ecosystem.
Chan’s bees are fortunate to have such a beautiful and diverse prairie home. And of course, NoCo is lucky to have a resident as creative, dedicated and talented as Chan Mahanta! Not only did Chan build his beautiful, sustainable garden from scratch, but he also provided all of the gorgeous photos for this story…
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Jo Batzer has lived in North County most of her life and is excited to be a part of the NOCO team. She has worked in the horticulture and florist industries for over 25 years and is the garden leader at Twillman House Community Garden. Jo lives and gardens in the Spanish Lake area with her husband, two sons and two dogs.
Are you getting ready for the big day? NOCO is a proud sponsor of the 3rd annual Live Well Ferguson 5K