County of building: Saint Charles County
Location of building: 3rd St., 2nd house N of Jefferson St., W side, St. Charles
Built: 1838-remodel: 1925
Architect: Unknown
Architectural Style: Italian Renaissance
Original Occupant: St. Charles College
Map
"2. 117 North Third Street, Old St. Charles College; Italian Renaissance Revival; 1838, remodeled and enlarged c. 1925; Contributing
Built in 1838 as the St. Charles College, this structure was remodeled circa 1925 in the Italian Renaissance Revival style for use as apartments. The 4-story, side-gabled, brick and stucco building has
wide eaves supported by brackets. The symmetrical 5-bay façade has 9/1 wood windows flanking the central entry bay, which has a wood, multi-paned, full-light door flanked by wide, multi-paned sidelights.
Above the entrance is the indication of a transom or fanlight that spanned the door and sidelights. On the second and third floors, directly above the entry, are similar side-lighted entry doors that open onto the 3-story, single-bay, wood-framed porch. Its railings were replaced in 2001 with modern deck-type railings.
Above the third floor, the masonry wall extends in the center bay with two 6/1 wood windows. On either side of the fourth floor central bay and at the rear corners are enclosed, wood-framed, recessed porches that were added in the circa 1925 remodeling. These porches have 9-light wood casement windows above a wood half-height wall." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
"Built: 1838; 1917-1929 (Top Floor)
Style/Design: Italian Renaissance
This building is significant in the educational history of St. Charles for its early use as a college. It is also representative of the
social history of the community, especially reflective of the growth of the community away from the riverfront and the concurrent
need for more housing that led to the creation of multi-family housing.
"It appears this building was erected in 1838 by Mrs. Catherine Collier and her son George after receiving a state charter to
establish St. Charles College in 1837. Under the auspices of the Methodist Church, the college operated in this building until the
early 1890s, when a seven-acre tract (at Kingshighway and Waverly Streets) was donated to the school. [Ed. Note: This property today is the site of St. Charles High School]
"After the school moved to that site, the building on North Third (addressed as 109 N. Third at that time) was converted to
tenements (on the 1893 and the 1900 fire insurance maps). By 1909 and again in 1917, it is identified as a dwelling, seemingly to
indicate it was no longer being used as a tenement. In the earliest city directory, in 1906, George McIntire is listed at this address.
George and his wife, Lillian, lived in the house with Irene and James McIntire, apparently their children since no occupations are
listed for them. George was listed as employed by City Express. Although there is no listing in the 1908-1909 directory, George F.
McIntire is listed in the 1906-1910 directories. By 1916-1917, Frederick McIntire is listed and then in 1918-1919, Rex D. McIntire
is listed at this address. By 1921-1922, the directory lists Charles Burnside at 109 N. Third and in 1925-1926 the building is
vacant.
"In 1927-1928, the address was changed to 117 North Third and the building became the Ira Paul Apartments with four apartments
that year. By 1929-1930 there were fourteen different apartments according to the city directories. It continued to be used as the
Ira Paul Apartments at least through 1961 and today is known as the Courtyard Studio Apartments.
"Between 1917 and 1929, the fire insurance maps indicate that the upper half story was converted into a full story and given the
city directory information, this probably occurred in the 1920s to convert the building to the Ira Paul Apartments. Even though the
county’s tax records indicate a date of construction of 1921, that is probably referencing the apartment conversion, and either the
city directory or the county records are slightly off in dating the renovations.
"This renovation included infilling between the existing masonry walls with banks of windows and creating recessed porches on all
four corners. At that time, the eaves were extended, reducing the pitch of the roof since the ridge was retained in its original
location. Braces were added to support the wider eaves and the windows were changed to 9/1 sashes based upon photographs
prior to 1917-29 which show the older windows as 2/2 or 4/4. With the renovation, the three-story high, central porch over the
entry was added and the building took on an Italian Renaissance appearance, characterized by the fanlight over the door, the tall,
multipaned windows, low pitched roof with wider eaves, and symmetrical façade. Even the stucco that was apparently applied
during the remodeling is common to this style.
"This four story, side gabled, brick and stucco building has wide eaves supported by brackets (eaves and brackets were part of the
circa 1921 renovation as was the stucco on the brick). The façade is divided symmetrically into five bays with 9/1 wood sashed
windows flanking the central entry bay. These windows apparently replaced 2/2 or 4/4 windows in the circa 1921 renovations.
The central entry bay has a wood, multipaned, full light door flanked by wide, multipaned sidelights. Above the entry there is the
indication of a transom which spanned the door and sidelights, possibly a fanlight. On the second and third floor, directly above
the entry are similar side-lighted entry doors, which open onto the three story wood framed porch that spans the entry bay (its
railings were replaced in 2001 with taller, wood balusters constructed like modern deck railings). Above the third floor, the
masonry wall extends in the center bay with two, 6/1 wood sashed windows. On either side of the fourth floor central bay, and at
the rear corners as well, there are enclosed, wood framed, recessed porches, which were clearly identified on the 1929 and 1947
maps. These porches have 9-light, wood casement windows above a wood half height wall.
"The original building was a 3.5 story college building, converted in 1891 to residential use, and by 1906 it was used as a private
residence, apparently with renovations completed to the interior only at that time. Between 1917 and 1929, most likely around
1921, renovations to the exterior to convert the building into apartments included creating wider eaves which reduced the roof
pitch although the ridge remained the same, creating the recessed fourth floor porches on all four corners. Those renovations
probably added the stucco to the walls (although it could have been added later), but the façade today is mostly just painted brick,
and the other elevations only have remnants of the stucco, except for the stone foundation which is stucco. The fire insurance
maps identify the front porch on the 1929 map, after the renovations, but show it as a one-story porch, apparently either an error
or the second and third floor doors were added at a later date and the porch extended to three stories tall.
"The building is deeply recessed into the lot and elevated high above street level. It is accessed by a set of broad concrete steps,
centered on the façade. The grounds slope downhill from the building to a stone retaining wall at the sidewalk, but in front of the
building, this wall is shorter and now stuccoed, flanking the steps. On the 1947 fire insurance map, there were a series of
garages at the North Third Street edge flanking these steps, but they have since been removed and replaced by this stucco
retaining wall. Tiered above this retaining wall are two additional tiers of recently installed wood beam retaining walls that span the
width of the building façade." ~ St. Charles Historic Survey Phase I, PDF pages 422-426