Joseph Seraphin House - Ste. Genevieve, Missouri
Posted by: BruceS
N 37° 58.525 W 090° 02.558
15S E 759763 N 4207214
Historic early house in the Ste. Genevieve Historic District in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.
Waymark Code: WM5FCX
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 12/31/2008
Views: 11
"Joseph Seraphin House. 74 Seraphin Street., c. 1826. Property type:
French vertical log house. This two-story, vertical log, gable-roofed building,
measuring 26 feet 3 inches across the front by 30 feet 1 inch deep, is set on a
stone foundation. A series of rear ells and additions adjoin the main block of
the house. The main block is three bays wide. A shed-roofed porch extends the
width of the north facade. Fenestration consists of replacement, six-over-six,
double hung, sash windows. The facade wall of the house is stuccoed while the
remaining walls are sheathed in wood siding, and the roof is sheathed in asphalt
shingles. A brick chimney projects from the center of the roof ridge. The
original house was constructed on a series of stone piers. Later the space
between the piers was infilled with additional stone. A cellar was excavated and
concrete walls installed inside the original stone foundation.
According to researchers, this small two-room house is the only surviving 1
1/2 story Creole house in Ste. Genevieve originally built with an upper story.
129 Its vertical, white oak posts rise unbroken from the sill to the eaves. The
logs used in its construction are considerably smaller than those in a typical
French house. These logs are mortised into the sill. The outer flat surface is
covered with clapboards, while the inner flat surfaced was covered with plaster.
The rafters are vertically sawn, two inches by four inches, with collar beams.
The principal entrances to the house are located near the center of the front
and rear of the house and a separate entrance at the east end of the house leads
to the cellar.
The first floor has a three-room plan: two rooms side by side with shared
interior wall carrying a chimney and a single large room running the width of
the house at the rear. The attic contains two finished rooms and is accessed by
a stairway in the northwest corner of the house. Much of the original fabric of
the house is intact including the walnut and oak wall logs, puncheon floor
joists, and the original wide, random width, floorboards. The latter are
presently covered by a contemporary floor. The original roof framing system
still remains. In 1983, the house was renovated. These renovations included
installation of insulation and new windows.
Joseph Seraphin was a documented early owner of the property. In 1826, the
property was sold to Antoine Racola, a free African American. Prior to Racola's
ownership, the only buildings on the lot were indicated as three or four cabins,
so it is believed that the house was built during Racola's ownership. In 1873,
the property passed from the Racola family to John L. Bogy at auction." ~
Historic District National Register Nomination Form