By Christy Marshall
Photography by Alise O'Brien
Long for a place named Washington that’s heavy on history but light on politics? One with hills and a nearby winery but no Capitol Hill whine-ery? One set by a body of water but not beset by constant rain?
Head south on Highway 44 or go to the Amtrak station. In less than an hour by road (it’s a highly fluctuating time by train), you will land in Washington, Mo.—a hamlet of vintage buildings and homes set on city blocks branching back from the banks of the Missouri River.
You don’t have to close your eyes too tightly to imagine how the town may have looked in its heyday. Replace the asphalt with dirt and the cars with horses and you’re practically there. The original train station opens up on Front Street, right by the river. Buckle up those Birkenstocks and start hoofing—right past the home of Dr. Elijah McLean, built in 1839; the Schwegmann House from the early 1860s; the Wiese House, which dates from the 1850s; the Tibbe Electric Power House (a newcomer, say 1915); the Missouri Meerschaum Co. (the corncob pipe manufacturer); and on to the Old Wolf Hotel and the Old Inn. Swing by the Water Works Building, now an antique shop chock full of finds—like a green-painted pie safe ($595), an antique sled William Randolph Hearst would have loved, a walnut spool cabinet ($550) and Fiestaware galore (a 7-inch plate–$10). Turn on Main Street and see the 1838 home of Lucinda Owens, the town’s official founder. Down the street, don’t miss the Nulle House (1846), the Stamm Saloon (1880) and the Droege Building (constructed in 1897 as the general store and still the town’s grocery, with Droege descendants in charge).
While the town has a profusion of gift stores and a smattering of antique shops (including the Feed Store Antique Mall, 101 E. Main, 636-390-0115, where you could snap up an entire Crown Candy–like soda fountain setup for $1,200), shopping shouldn’t top the list of reasons to go. There’s no need. Aside from the walking tour (pick up a map at the Visitor’s Center by the train station), there’s a plethora of other options. Longing for a good country auction? Washington is the home of M.R. Clark Auction & Appraisal (102 Elm, 636-390-2220, www.mrclarkauction.com)—held in the old International Shoe building. Hungry for a dinner at a restaurant once named by Travel & Leisure as one of the top ten in the United States? Stop in at American Bounty (430 W. Front, 636-390-2150). “The dishes are very interesting—but also delicious,” says Dorris Keeven-Franke, a local historian and the owner of The Guest Haus, a Washington bed and breakfast. “You never have a bad meal.”
Or maybe lunch? May we suggest Choco L’Art (101 Elm, 636-390-9777), run by artist Ray Harvey? Or just want a great piece of pie? Head to Cowan’s (114 Elm, 636-239-3213) with its lime green tables and plate collections on the walls. A cuppa tea and a sundae? Grab a stool at the counter of Not Just Cut & Dried (once the Old Dutch Hotel at 227 Elm, 636-239-9084). In the mood for some art? Washington is home to artists Gary R. Lucy (famous for his historic renditions and murals, his studio is located at 231 W. Main, 636-239-6337, www.garylucy.com) and stainless-steel metal sculptor Larry Pogue at Pogue’s Sculpture Studio and Art Gallery (118 W. Front, 636-239-0668, www.larrypogue.com).
For a serious dose of local lore—and if the hike whetted your appetite for more—mush on over to the Historical Society (Fourth and Market, 636-239-0280). This two-floor memory lane holds a 19th- century doctor’s office, a collection of the tools early Washingtonians used, zithers they made and played, pottery they threw and the brewery a Busch built. There are also mementos of the early ferries and steamboats. As Keeven-Franke notes, Washington’s history dates back to early native Americans, Lewis and Clark, Daniel Boone (and his descendants), then on to the Germans who settled there, making it the first German settlement in Missouri. (As beer steins come crashing down on bar tops in Hermann, it should be noted that, according to Keeven-Franke, Washington’s birth precedes Hermann’s by several years.)
But it’s not just the history that makes this innkeeper such a town booster. “Washington people are so neat,” she says. “They embody German friendliness. It’s small like a Norman Rockwell kind of town but it’s so close to St. Louis that you can run to the Muny.”
