124 East 2nd Street - Hermann Historic District - Hermann, MO - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

County of house: Gasconade County
Location of house: 2nd St, east, S. side of street, Hermann
Built: 1885
Architectural Style: Missouri-German

124 East 2nd Street, August Meyer House, 1885/1925, Contributing (survey #50) Outbuildings: Smokehouse, contributing; Garage, Non-contributing
This house shares general characteristics with other Missouri-German Houses in Hermann, though it is more elaborately detailed. This 1-story house has parapeted side gables with paired chimneys on each end and a cut stone foundation. The entrance is centered in the 5-bay façade. It is sheltered beneath a single-bay, classically detailed porch with dentiled cornice returns and a broad entablature. The porch roof is supported by square Doric columns and there are scrolled ornaments attached. There are 2/2 windows with segmental arches on either side. Windows have working shutters. The slightly overhanging eaves are lined by an elaborate wood cornice with dentils and scrolled brackets. There is a two-bay garage with shed roof and concrete foundation at the alley. There is also a brick gable roof smokehouse. A stone retaining wall lines the front yard." ~ NRHP Nomination Form

"Built in 1883 by August Meyer.
In the spring of 1883 August Meyer began construction of what the newspaper described, "will be one of the finest buildings in that part of town."

Henry August Mayer was born on the farm near Hermann homesteaded by his father in the late 1830s. Meyer graduated from Central Wesleyan College in Warrenton in 1874 and for five years was a school teacher at a small school near Hermann, after which time he became interested in politics and was elected successively to various offices in the county. At the time he built the house he was clerk to the circuit court. Meyer was later elected probate judge. Circa 1925 the porch was altered, substituting brick column plinths and concrete floor and steps for the original wooden structure. The porch on the rear elevation was probably originally open. The small brick outbuilding is very likely contemporary with the main building.

"General description: One and one half story rectangle shaped building constructed of brick laid in common bond resting on a tooled face coursed ashlar stone foundation with full cellar.

"Settings The house sits well back from the street about twenty feet comensurate with its neighbor to the west (an older house) and sits well above street level behind a rough faced coursed ashlar stone retaining wall with bevel sided smooth dressed stone coping. There are flanking stone steps leading to a broad stone stoop which actually is over the sidewalk--ten stone steps pierce the retaining wall leading to the house walk and porch. There is a brick sidewalk with herringbone pattern which appears to be quite old." ~ DNR Historic Survey  page 218, part I