County of building: Saint Charles County
Location of structure: N 5th St., 2nd house S of Washington St, E side, St. Charles
Built: 1870
Architect: Unknown
Architectural Style: Folk Victorian
Original Occupant: Fred Mueller
Map
"48. 124 North Fifth Street; Folk Victorian; circa 1880; Contributing
This 1½-story, brick, centered gable folk form house has a side-gabled roof with a prominent central cross gable. The brick walls are in a 5-course common bond and the foundation is scored stucco. The
center 2 bays of the 6-bay façade hold modern half-glazed metal doors and the glazing has metal cames.
The doors are topped by single-light transoms. The other bays hold replacement 6/9 windows that are shorter than the original windows (the upper part of each opening is in-filled). The doors open onto a central 4-bay gallery that has a wood shingled mansard roof with a small cross gable over the central stairs. A 1970 photo shows that this porch had turned posts, spindlework frieze, and a turned balustrade railing. The railing and floor were replaced when the porch was reworked in 1996. The metal railing on the porch roof is not original and it is not known whether it replaced a similar feature since the 1970 photo does not cover this portion of the porch. The door in the front gable end is a replacement with a fanlight in the upper part. Despite the alterations to the porch and windows, the house maintains its basic Folk Victorian details and is contributing.
a. Garage; circa 1925; Contributing
A 1-story, hipped roof, frame garage with unpainted lap siding and a concrete foundation opens onto the
alley. A paneled wood overhead door is on the east façade. The garage was built circa 1925." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
"Built: 1870-1890
Style/Design: Folk Victorian
Built prior to 1891 since this property is listed (addressed at the time as 110 N. Fifth) as the home of Fred Mueller and it is shown
on the 1893 fire insurance map ( the first to cover this area). This entire block was still vacant when the 1869 Bird's Eye View of
St. Charles was published but the stylistic features of this house could indicate that it was built shortly after that map was
completed. Further research is needed to narrow down the construction date. Potentially the deed records can help identify the
date of construction. This duplex house was listed in the next city directory in 1906 as the residence of Edward H. and Alvina
Poser and John and Mary Koester. Both husbands worked for the American Car and Foundry Company. The principal city directory listing was under Poser, who is later listed as the homeowner. The Poser family continued to live in the house through 1952. Although the fire insurance maps between 1900 and 1909, show slight changes to the house. It is no longer identified as a 1.5 story house, but as a 1 story house and the full width porch is changed to its current configuration, spanning two of the four bays on the façade. Since the 1970 photo at the St. Charles County Historical Society shows a porch with spindlework spandrels, turned posts and balusters, which are Late Victorian features, it is more likely that the early maps may have been in error, especially given the fact that the brick house is still obviously a 1.5 story residence.
"This 1.5 story, red brick, side gabled house has a large cross gable centered on the façade which incorporates a doorway that
accesses the rooftop of the front porch. The porch spans four of the six bays on the façade and has a wood shingled mansard
roof with a small cross gable over the central stairs. A 1970 photo in the St. Charles County Historical Society show that this porch
had turned posts, spindlework spandrels (which are now missing), and a turned balustrade railing. The railing and porch floor
have been replaced when the porch was reworked in 1996 and the railing height is too tall and the porch floor is now concrete.
The center two bays are transomed doorways, but the doors are modern half-glazed doors with metal cames. The door on the
second floor of the façade is also a replacement with a fanlight in the upper part of the door but it is obscured by the aluminum
storm door. The windows on the first floor and in the gable ends on each side elevation are replacement 6/9 sashes with the
upper portion of the window opening infilled to accommodate the shorter windows. Between 1917 and 1929, the one story rear
addition had been completed (south portion as a framed shed roof room) although the north portion with its brick walls and gabled
roof date from 1983-1900. The brick walls are a five-course common bond and the foundation is scored stucco. The soffits are
clad in vinyl. The rear shed roofed dormer was added prior to 1996 and does not appear to be historic. The metal railing on the
porch roof is not original and it is not known whether it replaced a similar feature or not since the 1970 photo does not cover this
portion of the porch. Despite the alterations to the porch and windows, the house maintains its basic Folk Victorian details and as
such is still contributing to the historic district.
"At the rear of the property is a one-story, hipped roof, frame garage with lap siding. It faces the alley to the east. The paint has
been stripped from the siding, but appears original. It has a concrete foundation and a wood paneled overhead door (1950s
vintage) and a sliding two-light window on the north side. The garage appears to have been built between 1917 and 1929 based
upon the fire insurance maps. Contributing." ~ St. Charles Historic Survey Phase I, PDF pages 625-628