County of restaurant: St. Charles County
Location of restaurant: Pearce Blvd., just W of Luetkenhaus Blvd. (old US-61), Wentzville
Architectural Style: T-Plan
Original Occupant: Lincoln School
Current Occupant: Harris Automotive
"Erected around the turn of the century, Lincoln School was originally a glazed block/brick, single pen structure later enlarged with a concrete block addition on the north end. The earlier classroom
retains original hardwood floor, eight-over-eight windows (concentrated and in ribbon form on east side), blackboards, rear stairs, and Victorian bullseye millwork, around windows and doors. Its
original form is masked by a facade incorporating faux mansard roof on south and east and neoTudor half-timbering surface treatment. The apex of Lincoln's front gable is visible above the facade.
The structure has experienced numerous additions to the north and east (all after Lincoln closed).
The original concrete entrance ramp and railing is still intact.
"Immediately following Emancipation a black community developed on the eastern edge of Wentzville. A school for blacks was soon established in an old log church near present-day Linn Avenue. Beginning in 1880 school was held at newly erected Grant Chapel A.M.E. Church (destroyed), directly behind the present location of Lincoln School, and approximately sixty feet east of the later Grant Chapel A.M.E (c.1930), built on the same lot as the earlier structure.
Both oral and written sources indicate that Lincoln School was erected about 1900 on what was then the eastern fringe of the city. It was originally a one-room building with a gable entrance facing
south, and stairs leading to a basement and rear entrance on the opposite end. Chalkboards lined the western wall, opposite the eight-over-eight ribbon windows. It was constructed of glazed ceramic
block sheathed in white brick. Lincoln is one of the more unusual sites in our target area, both in terms of design and materials, and reflects an uncommon transition between late Victorian and Modern. It exemplifies a simple gable form but is constructed of glazed tile (of various shades) typical of the 1920s. The snow-white brick used both on the exterior and in the foundation is unlike any other in the area and is believed to be of limited and local manufacture. The ribbon windows are also typical of then-current architectural trends. However, the remaining bullseye mullion, windows, hardware and few remaining light fixtures are typically late Victorian and date to around the turn of the century.
Oral sources insist that it was built on land belonging to the A.M.E. church, although a deed could not be located. It would not have been unusual if the school was built on church property; often a
church was not only the first school, but stood at the center of the black community, both figuratively and geographically. It was a logical location and in this case the lot easily accommodated another
building.
With an influx of students in the 1920s, a second classroom constructed of concrete block was added on the north end. The front (south) classroom accommodated grades 1-6, and the back (north), 7-8. Teachers included: Tennessee Craddoc from Sedalia (who taught the lower grades for many years); Caudy Grady; Richard Lunceford; Mrs. Emma Brown and Mr. Leverne Miller. In the 1940s indoor plumbing was also added. The playground was located directly east and south of the
building.
Daily routine included prayer, Pledge of Allegiance and a song such as "Lift Every Voice." Books and other materials were handed down directly from the local white school. A centrally located wood stove provided heat until a coal furnace was installed in the 1930s.
In 1957 Wentzville schools were integrated. Lincoln was purchased from the local school board by
Frank Toth the following year. Toth operated a glass business at this location until 1998 and was responsible for three separate additions in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s respectively. However, Toth primarily utilized the space provided by the additions; the original schoolhouse was largely preserved, being used first as a showroom and later for storage. Toth did remove the eastern wall of the second classroom and added the Tudor facade that has camouflaged the original exterior to the present day. In 1998 Toth retired and sold the building to Dennis Harris, who currently operates an automotive repair shop.
Despite additions and changes in the exterior appearance, Lincoln School is an important African American cultural resource in the Wentzville area. Lincoln School and adjoining Grant AM.E.
are the last remaining historical black sites in the city; Lincoln is the only remaining black school in
the county outside the city of St. Charles." ~ Missouri African-American School Historic Survey PDF pages 288-293
"Built: 1995
Style/Design: T=Plan
In 2000, Gary Kramer and Brett Rodgers (William Woods University) prepared an extensive historical assessment of the building that has been filed with the SHPO for Lincoln School. The school was built around 1895 and used until the Wentzville Schools were integrated in 1957. In 1920 there was a concrete block addition to the school, but after the school closed it was purchased by Frank Tofts who operated his auto body/glass business on the property until 1998 when he sold it to Dennis Harris. Tofts basically mothballs the old school building while using the additions he built in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s for his business.
At some point after 2000, the nonhistoric mansard and Tudor false timbering affect was removed from the facade of the school, exposing the original window and door opening, but the replacement windows and doors installed with that renovation and its attachment to the numerous additions for the automotive service business still impacts the historic integrity of the school and despite its significance to the local African American community as their only school for more than 50 years, it is not eligible for listing in the National Register. Local recognition is strongly encouraged and already underway by the renovations that removed the nonhistoric facade materials on a visual prominent facade when entering Wentzville along old highway 40 from the east and the recognition of its importance is noted on the plaque that has been put on the building by the current owner." ~ Wentzville Historic Survey PDF pages 155-161