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It’s an old cliché that every old house in St. Louis has a fascinating story behind it, and certainly it is true. When the average age of the housing stock of a city is around 100 years old, there are destined to be a litany of interesting inhabitants who lived, worked, and died in even the smallest bungalow on the Hill or a four-family flat in Dutchtown. And of course, in some houses, such as the Feickert-Lemp Mansion in Benton Park, the original inhabitants may not have even moved out yet.
But that being said, some houses are more interesting than others, and a stately home on Jefferson Avenue in the Benton Park West neighborhood exemplifies that some houses in St. Louis have more than their fair share of notable characters. Also, our preconceived notions of how people lived in the late 19th century are challenged by houses such as 3147 South Jefferson, the Declaration Independence Neudorf House next door to the famous Ferdinand Herold Mansion.
First of all, despite St. Louis being famous for its private streets such as Benton Place or Vandeventer Place, many of the wealthiest members of the city chose to live among their workers and members of the middle class. What is perhaps most striking about both the Neudorf (and Herold Mansion, as well) centers around its relatively humble neighbors. The Neudorfs chose to live around their fellow German Americans, and not sequestered away in the central portion of the city.
Likewise, one might find it surprising that a well-to-do resident would choose to live along a loud, bustling street such Jefferson. But back before the roar of the automobile, main avenues were actually the most desirable, and the wealthy paid to live in a conspicuous location. Indeed, looking at the property plats, large and expensive lots usually lined streets such as Jefferson, Lindell, or Grand. Modern St. Louisans often forget this, since many of those large plats of land were converted into office buildings or apartment towers, making use of the ample square footage of the lot. One aspect of the Neudorf House’s location, across the street from Benton Park, is obvious; the prime lots in St. Louis often fronted parkland. Also, Neudorf bought the lot for his house from Herold; frequently wealthy residents would buy up lots around their house as an investment and probably also to control who became their neighbors.
But we need to back up a little. The builder of the house was named Declaration Independence Neudorf? Yes, records prove that in fact the German American owner of a title examiner company was named after the Declaration of Independence. Born on July 4, 1863 during the height of the Civil War to a German immigrant fighting for the Union, his father’s patriotism prompted the unique given name. While a rare name, it does reflect the strong loyalty to the Union cause expressed by the hundreds of thousands of German Americans who fought against the South. Purchased and built for around $3,500, the house seems to be complete by 1897. Neudorf died only a few years later in 1903.
A relative, Oscar Berninghaus, was the next resident, probably renting the house from the Neudorf family. He worked for Anheuser-Busch, drawing advertisements for the brewery, and probably took the streetcar down Arsenal to go to work. But he also painted, and his work won competitions around the United States with his murals gracing the Missouri Capitol and the 1904 World’s Fair.
After a few changes in ownership, the large house began a new life as a business, as many grand homes along major traffic arteries did in the early 20th century. The automobile made suburban estates for the wealthy in St. Louis a viable reality, and as the noise of vehicular traffic ruined the quiet of Jefferson Avenue and Benton Park West settled into a more homogeneous middle class neighborhood, the Neudorf House served as a doctor’s office for Dr. Peter and Mrs. Amanda Brickbauer. Interestingly, some woodwork was changed around to better fit the office space.
Perhaps what is so wonderful about the house today is its owners’ careful renovation, which blends modern-day living within an historic structure. It seems like nowadays that all of those callow flippers can see in historic architecture are the brick walls. Shortly after a historic structure is bought, a huge dumpster appears out front, filled with the entrails of the house, both good and bad. It is an ugly trend, and one that is destroying the interiors of countless historic houses in St. Louis. Or there is the opposite end of the spectrum, where a historic house feels like a museum, uncomfortably stuffy due to its age. But the Neudorf House does not fall into either trap; the original fabric has been retained in the renovation, while modern conveniences, such as a wonderful kitchen, have been updated for the 21st century.
As the current owner states, “I had my eye on the house for years, and the first time we walked into it, we knew we wanted it. Like so many older homes, it had real character, but it needed a lot of work. We wanted to leave as much of that character as we could, but also make the house function. The kitchen and bathrooms needed updating, so they were functional for how people live today. The original kitchen was tiny, and there was a lot of wasted space, so we moved some things to create the kitchen. The parlor, the library, and the dining room we barely touched. The one thing we did do is update the lighting in every room. Beyond that, it was all of the stuff that isn't sexy at all—HVAC, windows, electric, plumbing, etc. We've had such a great time owning the home, renovating it, and enjoying it with our dogs.”
The Neudorf House is listed with Paul Sager and is available for purchase. See the listing here.
Chris Naffziger writes about architecture at St. Louis Patina. Contact him via email at naffziger@gmail.com.
