The Location

The Chatillon-DeMenil House is located on a lot bounded by Thirteenth Street (now called DeMenil Place) on the west, Cherokee Street on the south, a ramp leading onto Interstate 55 on the east, and the lot line of the house on the north. The address of the house is listed as 3325 DeMenil place which, serving as the main entrance today, was originally designed as the rear entrance.

The Architecture

Built in an "L" shape, the house is made up of two sections: the main part of the house (the foot of the "L") facing eastward and a wing, at a right angle, extending to the west. The overall dimensions are 48' across the east facade, 72' along the south wall, 22' across the wing's west end, 37' down the north wall of the wing, 24' across the west porch, and 34' down the north wall of the main house.

Built of brick, in the Greek Revival style, the DeMenil House is free-standing with three stories and a basement in the main section of the house; the wing consists of only two stories. The brick, laid in common bond, was once painted white. With the exception of the east and west facades, the paint is wearing off, exposing the natural red color. The foundation is limestone as are the lintels and window sills. The window frames and shutters have been painted a light grass green. The doors leading onto the porches from the house are a dull gray; the two side doors, on either side of the wing, are white with green shutters. The porches have been painted white with black wrought iron balustrades. The wrought iron window bars, found on the first floor and the basement windows, are also black. The pitched roof is covered with tin.

So monumental is the eastern facade that from its hill overlooking the Mississippi River, the DeMenil House long stood as a landmark to the river pilots as they rounded Chatillon's Point. Raising the full height of the building is a two-story porch with fluted Ionic columns supporting a pediment. The strength of the porch is carried out through the wall behind it. Doric pilasters divide the wall into sections which correspond to the porch; the central section,' comprising half of the wall's total expanse, equals the width of the porch. The double doors on each level are carved in curvilinear and circular panels with twin-paned transoms above.

The Ionic order is also employed in the design of the gallery-type porch on the western facade, but slimmer columns and the use of a balustrade rather than a pediment give a more informal effect.

The wing begins at the inner corner of the porch and runs to the western boundary of the lot. The cornice, following the slope of the roof, is a continuation of the entablature of the porch. Continuing around the wing until the roof begins its upward slope on the south side, this cornice, along with the balustrade resting on the western cornice of the wing, provide a visual tie with the main part of the house. The southern wall forms the long side of the house, extending its full length and incorporating the wing on the north side.

The interior floor plan follows the overall "L" shape of the house. The main part of the house, facing eastward, is made up of three floors and a basement.

Each floor (including the basement) has a central hall with a simple stair case. The wing's two floors contain halls with staircases. These hallways are continuous with the central halls of the second and first floors. All rooms open off these hallways.

The former maid’s rooms and den on the second floor were converted in the restoration into an apartment for the house’s caretaker. They now house our main office and a dressing room suite for brides. The house, grounds, and Cafe make an elegant setting for dozens of weddings every year.

The Restoration

In all probability the house would have remained a somewhat rundown boarding house losing its detail to neighborhood scavengers, but the Missouri Highway Commission changed all that in the 1950's. In planning the route for the Ozark Expressway (I-55), they chose the location of the DeMenil House. However, in 1961, an alternate route was chosen which took the highway over the entrance to the Cherokee Cave and the easternmost part of the DeMenil property.

Owner Lee Hess wanted to sell the entire property to the Highway Commission, including the house. The Commission required only the front acreage, planning to tear down the house and sell the land to a developer. The Highway Commission accepted a bid of intent from Landmarks Association of St. Louis, Inc. for $40,000 for the house and 40,000 square feet of property. The Union Electric Company contributed the necessary $40,000 and a drive for the funds needed to restore the building began. Restoration work commenced in the summer of 1964 and the property was dedicated in 1965. At this dedication Landmarks Association turned the house and property over to the nonprofit foundation which still operates the house today.

Gerhardt Kramer, FAIA, was the restoration architect. The American Institute of Interior Designers restored and decorated the rooms. The marble mantelpieces, ceiling medallions, and the downstairs hall chandelier are original. The furniture and accessories, some of which came from the DeMenil family, are authentic pieces dating from 1830 to 1870. Wallpaper, rugs, and draperies are all reproductions of the same period. Most of the Mansion’s rooms are set up to interpret life for a typical wealthy Victorian family. The exception is the elegant double parlor, where original furnishings and period photographs allow us to recreate the room as it was during Alexander DeMenil’s lifetime.