Chatillon-DeMenil House
Encyclopedia
The Chatillon-DeMenil House, located at 3325 DeMenil Place in Soulard, St. Louis, Missouri
, was begun in 1848 for the pioneer Henry Chatillon, then enlarged to its present form by prominent St. Louis businessman Nicolas DeMenil from 1855 to 1863. The house serves as a house museum, and according to its nomination to the National Register of Historic Places
, "some see the DeMenil House as being the finest example of Greek Revival architecture in the Midwest."
. In 1848, Lux married Henry Chatillon, who had become somewhat famous as the leader of the expedition of Francis Parkman
in The Oregon Trail
.
By 1849, a house stood on the property owned by Lux. This house was either moved to the location from Carondelet or built there after the marriage. The early house was a simple, two-story brick farmhouse with four rooms and a one-slope roof.
Regardless of Chatillon's renown, parcels of the tract were sold in 1850, and the remainder of the property (including the farmhouse) was sold in 1855. The purchaser was Nicolas DeMenil, a French physician who married Emilie Sophie Chouteau in October 1836. DeMenil and his wife initially purchased the house as a summer retreat from the city center, but by the beginning of the Civil War they decided to reside in it year-round. Their decision to move partly was based on their sympathy with the Confederacy
combined with the garrison of Union
soldiers in St. Louis. Upon moving to the house, the DeMenils hired Henry Pitcher, a carpenter and contractor, to remodel and expand it.
. Renovations were complete by 1863. However, due to development in the surrounding area (partly financed by DeMenil himself), the view of the river was obstructed from the house, and the front entrance was moved to face 13th Street and balustrades and a porch were added to improve the appearance of the new entrance in 1879. Nicolas DeMenil died shortly after completing the new entrance; his son, Alexander DeMenil, inherited the home and lived in it until his death in 1928. A third generation of DeMenils moved into the home only to find the area had deteriorated, and moved in 1940.
of the genus Platygonus
. The noted paleontologist George Gaylord Simpson
proceeded to move into the home, using it as a staging area for investigating the remains of prehistoric animals in the caves.
By the 1950s, the home was becoming derelict, and plans for Interstate 55
called for the demolition of the home. However, a route change in 1961 permitted the home to be saved by the Landmarks Association of St. Louis. The Union Electric Company
contributed to the purchase of the home and sponsored its renovation in concert with the Landmarks Association, and the Missouri Department of Transportation
agreed to the plan. In summer 1964, renovations began under the authority of architect Gerhardt Kramer, and the home was dedicated the next year. The Landmarks Association created the Chatillon-DeMenil House Foundation as owner of the house, and it continues to operate the home as a museum.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, was begun in 1848 for the pioneer Henry Chatillon, then enlarged to its present form by prominent St. Louis businessman Nicolas DeMenil from 1855 to 1863. The house serves as a house museum, and according to its nomination to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, "some see the DeMenil House as being the finest example of Greek Revival architecture in the Midwest."
Original home
The property where the house was built was part of a five acre tract purchased by Odile Delor Lux, a granddaughter of Clement Delor de Treget, the founder of Carondelet, Missouri. The property originally was part of the St. Louis common fieldsVillage green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
. In 1848, Lux married Henry Chatillon, who had become somewhat famous as the leader of the expedition of Francis Parkman
Francis Parkman
Francis Parkman was an American historian, best known as author of The Oregon Trail: Sketches of Prairie and Rocky-Mountain Life and his monumental seven-volume France and England in North America. These works are still valued as history and especially as literature, although the biases of his...
in The Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail: Sketches of Prairie and Rocky-Mountain Life
The Oregon Trail: Sketches of Prairie and Rocky-Mountain Life is a book written by Francis Parkman. It was originally serialized in twenty-one installments in Knickerbocker's Magazine and subsequently published as a book in 1849.The book is a breezy, first-person account of a 2 month summer tour...
.
By 1849, a house stood on the property owned by Lux. This house was either moved to the location from Carondelet or built there after the marriage. The early house was a simple, two-story brick farmhouse with four rooms and a one-slope roof.
Regardless of Chatillon's renown, parcels of the tract were sold in 1850, and the remainder of the property (including the farmhouse) was sold in 1855. The purchaser was Nicolas DeMenil, a French physician who married Emilie Sophie Chouteau in October 1836. DeMenil and his wife initially purchased the house as a summer retreat from the city center, but by the beginning of the Civil War they decided to reside in it year-round. Their decision to move partly was based on their sympathy with the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
combined with the garrison of Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
soldiers in St. Louis. Upon moving to the house, the DeMenils hired Henry Pitcher, a carpenter and contractor, to remodel and expand it.
Renovations and expansion
The house's western side was expanded 12 feet (3.7 m). This addition consisted of three stories, two porches, and possibly the carriage houseCarriage house
A carriage house, also called remise or coach house, is an outbuilding which was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and the related tack.In Great Britain the farm building was called a Cart Shed...
. Renovations were complete by 1863. However, due to development in the surrounding area (partly financed by DeMenil himself), the view of the river was obstructed from the house, and the front entrance was moved to face 13th Street and balustrades and a porch were added to improve the appearance of the new entrance in 1879. Nicolas DeMenil died shortly after completing the new entrance; his son, Alexander DeMenil, inherited the home and lived in it until his death in 1928. A third generation of DeMenils moved into the home only to find the area had deteriorated, and moved in 1940.
Paleontology, decline and renovation
In 1940, local pharmaceutical manufacturer Lee Hess converted the home into apartments, reserving one for himself and his wife. His discovery of an extensive cave on the property led him to find remains of the peccaryPeccary
A peccary is a medium-sized mammal of the family Tayassuidae, or New World Pigs. Peccaries are members of the artiodactyl suborder Suina, as are the pig family and possibly the hippopotamus family...
of the genus Platygonus
Platygonus
Platygonus is an extinct genus of herbivorous peccary of the family Tayassuidae, endemic to North America from the Miocene through Pleistocene epochs , existing for approximately ....
. The noted paleontologist George Gaylord Simpson
George Gaylord Simpson
George Gaylord Simpson was an American paleontologist. Simpson was perhaps the most influential paleontologist of the twentieth century, and a major participant in the modern evolutionary synthesis, contributing Tempo and mode in evolution , The meaning of evolution and The major features of...
proceeded to move into the home, using it as a staging area for investigating the remains of prehistoric animals in the caves.
By the 1950s, the home was becoming derelict, and plans for Interstate 55
Interstate 55
Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north–south Interstate Highway. I-55 goes from LaPlace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place. A common nickname for the highway is "double...
called for the demolition of the home. However, a route change in 1961 permitted the home to be saved by the Landmarks Association of St. Louis. The Union Electric Company
Union Electric Company
The Union Electric Company of Missouri was an electric power utility first organized in 1902. As one of the S&P 500 largest companies in the United States, in 1997 its holding company merged with a smaller neighboring utility, Central Illinois Public Service Company through its holding company,...
contributed to the purchase of the home and sponsored its renovation in concert with the Landmarks Association, and the Missouri Department of Transportation
Missouri Department of Transportation
The Missouri Department of Transportation is a state government organization in charge of maintaining public roadways of the U.S. state of Missouri.-External links:*...
agreed to the plan. In summer 1964, renovations began under the authority of architect Gerhardt Kramer, and the home was dedicated the next year. The Landmarks Association created the Chatillon-DeMenil House Foundation as owner of the house, and it continues to operate the home as a museum.
External links
- Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion - official site