County of farm: Cooper County
Location of farm: MO-A & , Pilot Grove
Owner: Bob & Ann Betteridge
Farm Name: Crestmead, today: formerly called Prairie View
Acres: 260
Original Owner: William Agernon Betteridge, grandfather
Year Built: 1859
Family Purchased: 1903
date Century Farm Status Approved: 25 June 2003
Architectural Style: Italianate
"Historically Prairie View, or Crestmead, is a fine example of a rural antebellum Missouri plantation that was successful in transforming into a large and prosperous
stockfarm .. In its original place in time, the farm remains the finest example of such
a plantation in Cooper County.
"Built in 1859 as the residence of John Taylor, the farm operated under slave labor
until the close of the Civil War. The next owner, Presley G. Walker, resided here from
1865 until 1883, and under his ownership the "Prairie View" land holdinqs increased in size
to over 2500 acres. As a result of Walker's fine management and insistence upon
class and quality, the farm became well-known as the breeding ground of some of
Missouri's best registered Shorthorn cattle as well as being a successful grain operation. For twenty years beginning in 1883, the farm languished in a period of
successive owners and speculators.
In 1903, the farm was purchased by Hilliam A. Betteridge and six years later the
name of the residence and grounds was legally changed to "Crestmead." Betteridge soon
developed the operation into a model modern farm, also specializing in the breeding of
registered Shorthorn cattle. A valuable herd sired by Lavenda Viceroy and Victorious
from the herd were sold to stockfarms throughout the United States. In 1938,
Crestmead continued its operation under Betteridge's son, Verne, followed in 1980 by
a grandson, Robert, who is the present owner." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
"Many stately old homes with period furnishings are clustered around Pilot Grove, some in the same family for a century and more.
Ravenswood (1880) and Crestmead (1859) stand out from the landscape on high prairie hills within 10 miles of Pilot Grove, and can be toured. Along the Katy Trail itself are tow other homes that welcome visitors: the Pleasant Green plantation house (1820s) and Burwood (1883), accessible from milepost 210.9
"These homes are worth seeing for their architecture and interiors, but they also tell of Cooper County's past. Because of their owners' wealth, they were among the first to take advantage of new technologies such as the automobile, central heating, gas lights and hot-water radiators. Owners of Ravenwood raised Missouri mules brought up the Santa Fe Trail, and started the shorthorn cattle industry west of the Mississippi River. Shorthorns have been raised at Crestmead since 1888. Cattle were driven to the Katy railroad at the town of Pleasant Green. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), this part of Cooper County was the scene of marches and pursuits, with Union and Confederate soldiers camping at these homes. Slave quarters still stand behind Pleasant Green, Burwood and Crestmead." ~ Missouri Department of Natural Resources
"Ann Betteridge peers into a small room at the back of her house, Crestmead Mansion, a historic plantation home that has been in her family since the early 1900s. The room was one of only a few left standing after fire ripped through the house four years ago.
It was a cold and bleak night when fire broke out in the mansion on March 3, 2008, destroying more than half the home. Restoring Crestmead has been an arduous but gratifying process, one that has brought together friends, neighbors and relatives dedicated to saving the pre-Civil War mansion. For Betteridge, it's about preserving family history. A former school teacher, she has spent nearly her all her savings and untold hours working on the home. Crestmead has become her passion.
"Today, the house transports visitors back to the 1800s, appearing almost the same as it did before the fire. But work remains to be done. Furniture is in storage, waiting to be cleaned and restored. Many pieces are lost forever.
"Betteridge applied for a federal government grant to fix the house, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, but she was turned down. That left the family with only the insurance settlement and their own money to finance the restoration.
"The original construction of Crestmead began in 1837, using Greek Revival architecture. In 1857, an addition using Italianate architecture inspired by the Renaissance greatly expanded the front of the house." ~ The Missourian, Columbia, June 25, 2012