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West End Word | Page 7April 13 - 26, 2012

SPRING HOUSE TOURSWashington TerraceClocktower Gatehouse

by Fran Mannino

Just south of Delmar Boulevard along the westside of Union sits the Waterman Place/KingsburyPlace/Washington Terrace Historic District, listedon the National Register of Historic Places.

Impressive entryways mark the thresholds of thehistoric districts three private streets, with nonemore unique than the Washington Terrace gate-house.

This picturesque structure, circa 1892, is thework of journeyman draftsman Harvey Ellis. Thegatehouse and six historic Washington Terracehomes will be featured May 11-13 on the CentralWest End Association (CWEA) 2012 House & Gar-den Tour.

The Washington Terrace gatehouse is one ofthe landmarks in St. Louis that every architecturalhistorian loves, said Lynn Josse, architectural his-

torian and acting director at the Chatillon-DeMenilHouse Foundation. Josse, also a historic preserva-tion consultant for the Preservation Research Of-ce, helped residents of Waterman, Kingsbury and

Washington Terrace obtain the National Register ofHistoric Places listing in 2007.

The gatehouse is so different, she said. Its socreative, and the architect Harvey Ellis is just sucha fascinating character.

Beloved Vagabond

St. Louis City Hall, the Compton Hill water tow-er, the former St. Vincents Hospital in Normandy,and the Washington Terrace gatehouse are all locallandmarks attributed to Harvey Ellis.

Ellis mostly did design work for other people,said Josse, especially

the architect GeorgeMann of Eckel & Mann.

Ellis has been char-acterized as both a bril-liant draftsman andbeloved vagabond whomade an indelible markon Midwestern architec-ture.

According to accountsin Terrace Tales: AContemporary His-

tory of Washington Terrace by author Jeff Tallent,

Ellis confounded biographers.It is not known how widespread his inuence

was, Tallent writes, because he used false namesand addresses, refused to acknowledge his own ac-complishments, and punctu-ated his work with long disap-pearances.

What is known is that Elliswas born in Rochester, N.Y.,in 1852 and attended the U.S.Military Academy at WestPoint for a time. In addition toSt. Louis, Ellis-designed build-ings can be found throughoutthe Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

He is known by the end ofhis life primarily as a designer of beautiful Crafts-

man furniture, said Josse, most notably for GustavStickley in Syracuse, N.Y.

Ellis died in 1904.Ellis was one of the greatest architectural delin-

eators a term thats used for artists who do per-spective drawings in American history, certainlyof that era, said preservation historian Esley Ham-ilton. A lot of his drawings were published becausethey were great works of art. The drawings havebeautiful detailing that often got eliminated in theactual construction because of budgets.

One of the reasons people are attracted to theWashington Terrace gatehouse, said Hamilton, isbecause Ellis was able to execute his vision with allof the detailing intact.

The Gatehouse

Ellis created the entrance to Washington Ter-race in 1892 for the architect George Mann. Therust-colored structure is made of Roman brick andplum terra cotta and topped with a spire. A deli-cate wrought-iron clock, still keeping good time 120years later, looks out over Union Boulevard.

The gatehouse, with its conical towers, is said tobe reminiscent of the gates to the medieval Germancity of Lbeck. Two pillars ank the street, topped

with terra cotta lions made by Winkle Terra Cotta

The Clocktower Gatehouse sits at the east entrance ofthe Washington Terrace neighborhood.

photo by Diana Linsley

see more photos at: westendword.com

Washington Terrace gate residential street scene photographed from Union Avenue

in 1890.

photo 6619 Missouri History Museum Photographs and Prints Collections

Washington

Terrace residentLou Goltermann

III. The plaque to

the right reads:WashingtonTerrace has been

placed on theNational Register

Of HistoricPlaces.

photo by

Diana Linsley

cont. p. 10

2012 SPRING HOUSE TOUR GUIDE

Harvey Ellis

Brother Mel


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Home and garden tours have become a popularSt. Louis tradition. This spring, residents of several

historic St. Louis neighborhoods will once again open

their doors to the public.

Downtown St. Louis Home TourSaturday, April 28

The Downtown Home Tour will showcase 10 to

12 unique homes of downtown residents illustrating

the variety of downtown living on Saturday, April 28,

from noon to 6 p.m. Units will include condominiumsto apartments, and penthouses to one bedrooms. This

is a self-guided tour. A tour booklet, tour map and free

shuttles will be provided at registration. Free parking

is available in the Seventh Street Garage on 7th Street

between Washington Avenue and Locust Street indowntown St. Louis (enter off 7th Street).

Registration for the tour will be held at The Laurel

Apartments, 616 N. 7th Street (63101). Tickets are

$14 in advance and $20 the day of the event and are

available online at www.downtownstl.org.

Central West End AssociationHouse & Garden Tour

May 11-13

Six historic mansions and a distinctive clocktowergatehouse will be featured on the 2012 Central West

End Association House & Garden Tour, to be held May

11-13 on Washington Terrace.

As a fth-generation resident of the Central

West End, I can tell you that Washington Terraceis one of our citys crown jewel private places, said

Doug Teasdale, president of the Central West End

Association (CWEA). Our 42nd annual house tour is

a great way to glimpse the fashionable palaces of this

Worlds Fair-era neighborhood.The regular tour will be held Saturday, May 12,

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, May 13, noon to 4 p.m.

(Mothers Day). Parking with shuttle buses is available

at the Washington University lot at Hoyt Driveand Forest Park Parkway near Skinker Boulevard.Limited street parking will also be available on Union

Boulevard north of Lindell Boulevard.

Tickets are $22 in advance; $25 the day

of the tour. Tickets are available onlineat www.TheCWE.org, at Left Bank

Books and Coffee Cartel in the Central

West End or by calling 367-2220.A special preview party will be

held Friday, May 11, 6 to 9 p.m. Costis $75 per person and will feature a

sneak peek at the homes, buffet and

entertainment.

Washington Terrace, located just

north of Forest Park, is one of the citysdistinctive private places designed by

Julius Pitzman, a prominent surveyor

and civil engineer. Pitzman laid out

Washington Terrace circa 1892 with

50 lots and an imposing entry gate,a French Norman Clock Tower

designed by Harvey Ellis and the

architect George R. Mann.

The styles of the mansions, many of them built in

anticipation of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition(Worlds Fair), range from Italian Renaissance to

Richardsonian Romanesque and Tudor. Many of the

homes were designed by the prestigious architectural

rm of Barnett, Haynes & Barnett. Prominent St. Louis

residents who have lived on the street include DavidMay of the May Company, Joseph W. Moon of St. Louis

once-successful Moon Motor Car and Julius Adler Baer

of Stix, Baer and Fuller.

The Central West End Association was founded in

1958 and is committed to preserving the neighborhoodshistory and celebrating its diversity. Proceeds from the

house tour will benet the not-for-prot CWEA.

Compton Heights Home & Garden Tour

May 19-20

Compton Heights, a gracious St. Louis neighborhood

long celebrated for its gorgeous turn-of-the-centuryarchitecture, will host a house tour expected to draw

thousands May 19-20, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

After a four-year hiatus, a volunteer

committee of neighbors has again organized theCompton Heights House Tour, featuring several

homes that have never been opened for a tour

before, as well as beautiful mansions knowncitywide by reputation, like the famed Magic

Chef Mansion on nearby Russell Boulevard.

Come see the area recently named one of

the Best Old House Neighborhoods for 2011,

by This Old House magazine. This years tourwill feature the home where Irma Rombauer,

one of the authors of the renowned Joy of

Cooking cookbook, grew up.

Residents say theyre proud to share homes

with original stained glass windows, intricatewoodwork and elegant features. Theyre also

proud that Compton Heights is home to diverse

residents, that show-stopping homes sit side-by-

side with lovely, more affordable properties in aneighborhood where residents still socialize andlook out for one another.

St. Louis Neighborhoods Celebrate Spring With

Home & Garden Tours

This home at 3127 Longfellow will be featured on the ComptonHeights Home & Garden Tour May 19-20.

photo by Michael C. Daft

April 13 - 26, 2012West End Word | Page 8 2012 SPRING HOUSE TOUR GUIDE

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Were truly excited about the mix for the

2012 house tour, said Compton Heights House

Tour Chair and resident Jeff Hill. In a nod to

the beer barons who built stately homes in theneighborhood, were planning a Biergarten at

the event, where people can meet and gather.

Weve also developed an audio tour, so visitors

can learn more about the neighborhoods history

and architecture as they walk between a dozenfeatured homes.

The Biergarten will feature cold drinks and

live music and will be held on the grounds of

the Magic Chef mansion.

Check-in for the tour is at 3521 HawthorneBlvd. at the intersection of Grand Avenue,

Longfellow and Hawthorne boulevards. Tour

tickets are $15 each in advance, $20 the days

of the tour, and $5 additional per person for the

optional audio tour. Small service fees will beadded for ticket purchases. Updated information

is available at comptonheights.org. For more

details, email [email protected] or call 827-6348.

Annual Old North House & Community

Tour and Homegrown Street Festival

Saturday, May 19Every year in May, Old North St. Louis

Restoration Group hosts a neighborhood-wide

house and community tour to show off thewarmth of the area, the richness and character

of the architecture, the beauty of the community

gardens and greenspaces, and the dynamic

revitalization in progress. This years tour is

scheduled for Saturday, May 19, from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m.

For the second year, the tour will incorporate

the Homegrown Street Festival, which will

celebrate and spotlight locally-produced foods,

goods and services.The tour will feature the great diversity

of housing styles that make Old North a

community where almost everyone can nd a

place that suits their budget and lifestyle. Stopson the tour will include historically rehabbedhouses that once were abandoned shells, at

least one LEED-certied home built by Habitat for

Humanity, community gardens (including the 13th

Street Garden, which grows food for the North City

Farmers Market and is home to the Old North Chicken

Coop), the Old North Grocery Co-op and new businessesat Crown Square.

Tour tickets are available in advance for $10 and on

the day of the tour for $12 per person. Tickets may be

purchased in advance one of the following two ways: With a credit card using PayPal online at: onsl.

org/house-and-community-tour. Tickets will be waiting

at the registration tent at St. Louis Avenue and North

14th Street on the day of the house tour.

Come by the Old North St. Louis Restoration

Group ofce with cash/check or send a check to: Old

North St. Louis Restoration Group, 2700 N. 14th St.,

St. Louis, Mo. 63106.

Lafayette Square Spring Home & Garden Tour

June 2-3

Residents of one of St. Louis most historically andarchitecturally rich neighborhoods invite the public to

join them for their 43rd annual Spring Home & Garden

Tour on Saturday, June 2 and Sunday, June 3 from 10

a.m. to 5 p.m. During this weekend-long celebration

of Lafayette Squares historic past, some of St. Louismost spectacular Victorian homes and gardens will be

on display.

Visitors can travel among a dozen homes and

gardens on an air-conditioned trolley, or amblethrough Lafayette Park in a horse-drawn carriage,

both provided at no charge. Guests can browse through

antique booths, cheer on players of vintage baseball,

sample wine during the Saturday wine festival, and

visit the vibrant business district lled with unique gift

shops and top-rated restaurants.

The Arts Council of Lafayette Square will kick off

its 30th annual season of free concerts with the Ralph

Butler Band on Saturday evening from 6 to 9 p.m.

The Spring Home Tour is when Lafayette Squarecomes alive each year, said Jennifer Weston, president

of the Lafayette Square Restoration Committee and

chairperson of the Spring Home & Garden Tour. Iam proud to be one of a large and growing number of

young families who have recently discovered Lafayette

Square. I cant imagine living anywhere else, and I am

eager to show guests all that we have to offer.

Home tour tickets are $15 in advance and $20the weekend of the tour. Children under 12 and

accompanied by an adult are free. Group sales of 20 or

more are $12. Advance tickets are available online at

www.lafayettesquare.org; by phone, beginning May 25,

at 772-5724; by check made payable to LSRC HomeTour and mailed to: 2023 Lafayette Ave., St. Louis,

Mo. 63104; and in select neighborhood businesses

beginning May 14 (visit website for details).

Lafayette Square is one mile south of downtown St.

Louis and is bounded by Jefferson on the west, I-44 onthe south, Truman Parkway on the east and Chouteau

on the north. There is easy access to the neighborhood

from I-55 at the Truman Parkway exit, I-44 at the

Jefferson exit and from I-64 at the Jefferson exit.

West End Word | Page 9April 13 - 26, 2012 2012 SPRING HOUSE TOUR GUIDE

1526 Mississippi is the former home of Ruth

Kamphoefner, Lafayette Square pioneer. The home isfeatured in her book, Lafayette Comes Back.

Do you have yourPassport to the Central West End?

When you visit the CentralWest End this May bring yourPassport to the Central WestEnd and take advantage ofgreat deals from your favoritestores and restaurants. Dontmiss our May 1st kickoff at Vino Gallery. Allproceeds benefit the

Childrens EducationAlliance of Missouri.

Free Stuff! Buy one, get one free!

Free appetizers and desserts with your meal! Great discounts up to 50%!

Proceeds benefit the Childrens Education Alliance of Missouris Financial Assistance and Parent Training Program for special needs learners. It is the only special needs-focused program of its kindin the St. Louis area. The program fills an unmet need for parents of special needs learners pairing advocacy training with financial assistance for tuition and therapies when needed.

Call (314) 454-6544 or visit our website for details and to purchase your Passport.

www.childrenseducationalliance-mo.org


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of St. Louis. Wrought-iron arches, known as overthrows,

crown the drives in and out of the street.

The gatehouse has its own address #2 Washington

Terrace and houses a minimal kitchen, bathroom and liv-

ing space in its tiny two-story interior.

A watchman lived here for awhile and provided securi-

ty for the street, said Lou Goltermann, one of three Wash-ington Terrace trustees.

Trustees rented the gatehouse out to students in the

1970s in exchange for part-time maintenance tasks. Cur-

rently, the gatehouse serves as an occasional rest stop for

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department 7th District of-

fcers who patrol the area.

Washington Terrace

Goltermann and his family have lived on Washing-

ton Terrace, one of St. Louis many private streets, for 10

years. A native of Ladue, Goltermann said he was attract-

ed to Washington Terrace for many reasons.

We were drawn to the history of the street, he said.

The tall ceilings in the homes, the old architectural mill-

work this is all stuff you cant get in newer houses. We

also enjoy the fact that we have the park and zoo so close

by.Washington Terraces three elected trustees ensure that

each resident follows the streets deed of restrictions, which

has remained almost completely unchanged since its incep-

tion. The rules ensure the historic neighborhood remains

relatively unchanged as well.

One of the wonderful things about Washington Terrace

is that there are so many architectural styles represented

there, and so many of St. Louis top architects were able to

design houses there, said Josse.

The list of prominent architects includes Theodore Link,

who designed St. Louis Union Station; and Henry Hob-

son Richardson, who popularized the Romanesque Revival

style of architecture in that era.

One thing people dont realize, partly because Washing-

ton Terrace doesnt have the parkway down the middle, is

that it has some of the greatest architecture in St. Louis,

said Hamilton. One of the greatest houses on that streetwas designed by the chief architect of the Worlds Fair,

Isaac Taylor.

Guests of the 2012 CWEA House & Garden Tour will

get an inside look into some of those grand mansions, as

well as a peek at the interior of Ellis historic gatehouse.

For more information, plus a listing of additional up-coming spring home and garden tours, see adjoining story,

pages 8-9.

Washington Terrace Gatehousefrom page 7

One of the historic homes on Washington Terrace, as seenfrom the inside of the Washington Terrace gatehouse.

photo by Diana Linsley

April 13 - 26, 2012West End Word | Page 10 2012 SPRING HOUSE TOUR GUIDE

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