Can you guess the building this architectural LANDMARKSLETTER detail is from? See Elements on page 2. The Tunstall-Douglass House; a Case Study in the Evolution of IN THIS ISSUE… North St. Louis County 2 A Tribute to Gayle Huntington by Andrew Weil Yerges 3 Letter from the Director 3 My Joining Landmarks Association 4-7 The Tunstall-Douglass House; a Case Study in the Evolution of North St. Louis County continued Tunstall-Douglass House before the Fire Tunstall-Douglass House, 2014 8-9 The LaSalle Building EARLY HISTORY 1798 and confirmed by Spanish Lt. Governor Landmarks THE HOME COMMONLY KNOWN as Zenon Trudeau. The concession was for 400 501 Olive Street arpents on “the waters of St. Ferdinand” the Tunstall-Douglass House (constructed 2 sometime prior to 1858) at 15310 Old (today known as Cold Water Creek). In 1819, 10-16 A Country School in the Halls Ferry Road was located in the “Old the heirs of David Brown (Daniel and Mary City: Gratiot School and Jamestown” vicinity of north St. Louis County. Brown) sold the property to four of the five Architect H. William Unfortunately, the home was demolished in sons of John Patterson (1760-1839), a nearby Kirchner recent years after a catastrophic fire, but its landowner who had also settled in the area on story offers a fascinating glimpse into the a Spanish land grant in the late 18th century. 14-15 Landmarks early settlement history of St. Louis County These families along with many of the other Membership in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The early settlers of St. Louis County of Anglo- story of the land, the land owners, and the American descent are examples of a pattern building itself provides insight into the way of migration of families from the states of what St. Louis County moved from a wilderness is now regarded as the Upper South into the into the Colonial Period and gradually Louisiana Territory at the end of the end of the became subdivided and developed into the 18th century. agricultural community that existed until post Beginning in the 1790s, the Spanish World War II suburban migrations changed its Colonial Government actively sought to face once again. attract settlers to the Louisiana Territory. The The land on which the home was built reasoning behind these efforts was that the was originally a portion of the property settlers would band together to defend their Volume 53 Issue 1 communities in the event of an incursion by conveyed to David Brown (Survey 107) as a Winter 2020 grant from the Spanish government in the late British interests from the north, even if they 18th century.1 The grant was surveyed on weren’t particularly loyal to the Spanish 3115 S. Grand Blvd. Suite 700 November 15, 1797, certified on March 3, Crown. While it was very difficult to attract St. Louis, MO 63118 continued on pg. 4 > Ph: 314-421-6474 www.landmarks-stl.org 1 Michael Rosenkotter. From Westphalia into the 2 American State Papers 1809-1815, Public Lands Vol. World, (no location: Michael Rosenkotter, 2003), p. 60. 2., Washington D.C.: Gales & Seaton, 1834), p. 692. ®2020 Landmarks Association LANDMARKS Elements Board of Directors ARCHITECT MATT GHIO H. WILLIAM President KIRCHNER’S DAVID LOTT GRATIOT Vice-President SCHOOL SHELLEY DONAHO Secretary THE FOLLOWING KEVIN KELLEHER DETAIL IS of custom Treasurer window reproductions ROBERT BRUCE MD based on surviving G. JOHN CHEN elements from W. H. KATE DOUGLAS Kirchner’s Gratiot School. Gale Huntington Yerges ROBERT EPPERSON Several examples of the specialized sash KAREN GOERING design survived on both MADISON HRDLCKA of Kirchner’s surviving A Tribute to CHERYL JONES school buildings LEE KLING (Gratiot and Blair) and Gale Huntington Yerges DOROTHY MARTIN were reproduced as by Carolyn Hewes Toft MONICA MCFEE a component of the rehabilitation of Gratiot Executive Director, 1976-2008 BILL SEIBERT School by Garcia ANN STANLEY Properties. Gale Huntington Yerges (1928-2019) was the first female President of Landmarks JEAN STECK For all the details, Association; she may also have been the most important leader in the history of the MIKE STEPHENS please see the article on organization. Having previously served as President of the Junior League of St. Louis page 10. H. MEADE SUMMERS, JR. and the Women’s Association of the Missouri Historical Society, Gale brought an SARAH UMLAUF unflappable spirit, extensive executive experience and the transformative gift of virtually JEFF VINES unlimited volunteer time. At the start of her tenure in the mid 1970s, she precipitated RANDY VINES both the move to downtown’s Railway Exchange Building and the gradual acquisition of a full-time professional staff. I was the initial member of that staff, but Gale spent at least ANDREW WANKO as much time in her office as I did in mine. She was also a much better typist! Buttressed by a Board Secretary from one the most prestigious law firms in town, Staff Landmarks embarked on the first architectural survey of downtown, hired a specialist to ANDREW B. WEIL, prove that the Shrine of St. Joseph could be saved, intervened and collaborated with Executive Director neighborhood groups from Hyde Park to Soulard and finessed a change from total SUSAN TSCHETTER, Window detail from clearance to rehab/reuse in the La Salle Park Urban Renewal project. The latter effort Office Manager Gratiot School brought us a long-time friendship with Ralston Purina; our work in Laclede’s Landing KATIE GRAEBE, Preservation Specialist sparked Mesker Park, another corporate partner and, in 1977, the first in a series of publications. The next publication, The St. Louis Old Post Office, coincided with the keenly awaited announcement of the winner of a national design competition to re-open the National Historic Landmark. Senator Tom Eagleton revealed the winner at a luncheon co-sponsored by Landmarks. If memory serves, he was introduced by President Gale Yerges who had been indispensable in making the august occasion at the Old Post Office appear effortless. By 1981, when Gale’s husband Howard (“Howsie”) received notice of his transfer to Maryland, Landmarks was already embroiled in what would be a prolonged, ultimately futile, battle for the Gateway Mall. We will never know if Gale’s presence LANDMARKSLETTER might have made a difference. We do, however, know that she took everything she is the official publication of Landmarks Association of Gratiot School, located at learned in St. Louis and changed the face of historic preservation in Maryland. St. Louis, Inc. for its members 1615 Hampton Avenue, and friends. Opinions in St. Louis City expressed in articles are those of the Editor and contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Board or membership of Landmarks Association. Please address all correspondence, comments and inquiries to the Editor. ®2019 Landmarks Association 2 Dr. Richard E. Mueller Letter from the Director My Joining Landmarks Association Dear friends, by Dr. Richard E. Mueller Is anybody else ready to put 2020 in the rearview mirror? Being asked to reflect on my joining Landmarks Association at I hope you are all doing well and can’t wait to see you when normal its beginning, at the age of seventeen, allows me to recall some operations resume! I miss my friends! wonderful memories. I don’t think there was ever a time when I was not interested in old It’s been a tough year for everyone—families, businesses, historic buildings and neighborhoods. I grew up in North St. Louis in a organizations, and communities. Thankfully, we are St. Louis Strong. middle class home with my parents a few blocks from Fairground Park What does that mean? To me it means that we support each other in and O’Fallon Park, and I attended Ashland Elementary School on times of need and we never forget what St. Louis was, is, and can be. North Newstead Avenue. As a student I was aware that my grade school was a special place. Landmarks Association remains strong and fiercely committed to the I didn’t know that it was an Ittner-designed building, but I appreciated mission of historic preservation in our community. characteristics that were typical of an Ittner school environment: the graceful terrace in the front of the building; the pretty tile work in the I know that you are tired of hearing requests for donations from non- interior; the abundance of natural light that was allowed to enter the profit organizations such as ours, but I ask you to consider a gift to building. Landmarks Association as resources allow. The timing doesn’t matter; My walks through my neighborhood revealed a wealth of old a gift doesn’t need to sneak down the chimney at the end of the year. buildings, which opened me to an appreciation of the richness of my However, we do rely on your financial support and, like you, have been environment. I also loved going to my neighborhood parks and was challenged over the course of the previous 10 months. fascinated to learn of their rich history. My parents were not particularly interested in historic Please know that the Board of Directors and Staff of Landmarks preservation, but they were more than willing to indulge the interests Association is grateful for donations of any size and that we are of their only child. Sometimes I would read in the newspaper about an committed to making sure that gifts are put to work furthering our old building that was about to be demolished, and my parents would mission to preserve, enhance, and promote the architectural heritage take me in the family car to the structure so I could get a good look of the St.