County of museum: St. Louis County
Location of museum: W. Argonne Dr. & S. Harrison Ave., Kirkwood
Phone: (314) 965-5151
"Mudd's Grove is a stately red brick antebellum home in Kirkwood, MO and is among the largest houses built in the Greek Revival style in Saint Louis County. The original home was a three-story brick house with a two-story wood portico that was built in 1859 by developer John Hoffman just a few years after the town’s founding. The home takes its name from Henry T. Mudd, who purchased the house and 100 acres in 1866. Mudd was a county auditor and a member of the town board of Kirkwood and was instrumental in the separation of the City of Saint Louis from the county. While serving in the Missouri state legislator he served on the committee that drafted the Missouri Constitution in 1875. Mudd was also a curator of the University of Missouri and president of the state horticultural society. Mudd lived in the home with his wife and seven children until 1882.
"In 1889 George Dana, founder and president of the Charter Oak Stove Company, and his wife Virginia purchased the home. The Danas lived in the house until 1921 and during their tenancy the hearth room, which had been a free standing building, and the upstairs porch were enclosed. Dana, reportedly the first man in Kirkwood to own an automobile, also added the gate lodge, a three car garage, and the front wrap-around porch. Other changes were made by subsequent owners including converting it to a two-family dwelling and back. In 1955 Mudd’s Grove was purchased by William Bodley Lane, an architect specializing in historic preservation who has contributed to such notable restorations in St. Louis County as the Payne-Gentry House, the Thomas Sappington House, and Oakland.
"In spite of these alterations, Mudd's Grove retains its outstanding decorative features. The five-bay symmetrical front faces north from its site at the southwest corner of Argonne and Harrison in Kirkwood, Missouri. The front of the house was symmetrically planned, two-and-a-half-stories, with central corridors and four rooms on both full floors. The salmon brick has been painted red with white trim and dark green louvered shutters. Double chimneys in the parapeted gable collect eight fireplace flues with the ninth chimney on the west side of the wing. All nine of the Greek Revival mantels are in place. White column-like porch posts support a two-story Greek Revival portico at the main entrance. The design of the original portico is very close to that of the Christopher Hawkin House in Webster Groves.
"Behind the house are two outbuildings built in the first years of this century. At the entrance to the driveway on Harrison is the gate lodge, built about 1902, a structure originally used as a retreat for younger members of the Dana family and currently as an office. The outbuildings and verandah are significant examples of designs of Ernest Klipstein, a notable St. Louis architect. Mudd's Grove has been recognized for its architectural and historical significance by the Historic American Buildings Survey and the St. Louis County Historic Buildings Commission. It has been designated a landmark by the City of Kirkwood and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
"In 1992, Mudd’s Grove became the museum home of the Kirkwood Historical Society. Despite the many changes since the home was built, the Historical Society has tried to restore it to its original appearance and has furnished the home with 19th and early 20th century pieces. The East Bedroom is considered the children's room of the house and has antique toys, books, and other items of interest to children on display. The West Bedroom displays period clothing. Gatehouse Gifts, the gift shop for Mudd's Grove has books on local history, cookbooks by local organizations, post cards, and other items for sale. The first floor of Mudd's Grove is handicapped accessible." ~ Great River Road