County of house: St. Louis County
Location of house: W. Argonne Dr. & S. Harrison Ave., Kirkwood
Phone: (314) 965-5151
"When the Kirkwood Historical Society set out to raise awareness of the condition of its home, Mudd's Grove, members decided to grab the public's attention with an eye-catching campaign.
"The group erected a large "Save Mudd's Grove" sign on the front lawn of the house at Harrison and Argonne. Similar, smaller yard signs also peppered lawns around town. It didn't take long for some alarmed Kirkwood residents to sit up and take notice.
'"First of all, to alleviate people's fears, the house is not up for sale, it's not going to be torn down, and developers are not coming in," said Gail Veir, Kirkwood Historical Society volunteer communications coordinator.
"The signs are meant to highlight the immediate need for repairs to the 150-year-old structure, and the fundraising efforts on its behalf.
"Restoration for the Future
"When the Kirkwood Historical Society acquired Mudd's Grove in 1992, it invested a lot of time and money in its restoration. Now, it's that time again: The society has received an $80,000 estimate for repairs necessary to keep the house from deteriorating.
'"Ralph Wafer was the restoration architect of record in 1992 when they rebuilt the house," said Veir. "He came back and took a look at what was going on, did the drawings and the budget. We trust him - he knows the house inside and out. The caveat is, they're not going to really know how severe the damage is until they start taking things apart."
"To plan for the unexpected, the historical society is hoping to raise about $100,000.
"Kirkwood Historical Society member Betty Beck said when the society first acquired the house, the purchase generated a great deal of enthusiasm in the community - enthusiasm society members hope to rekindle as they continue their fundraising efforts.
'"Since 1992 membership has fallen off, and people have moved on one way or the other, as they are prone to do," said Beck. "We do have good people on our board now, even the mayor of Kirkwood, so the society feels that things are looking up."
"The Kirkwood Historical Society is on its own when it comes to the upkeep of Mudd's Grove, said Beck.
'"We don't get money from the city, just from dues and special events," she said. "We do rent the house out for weddings and receptions."
"150th Anniversary
"Kirkwood City Council Member Joe Godi was president of the Kirkwood Historical Society in 1992 when Mudd's Grove first opened. This time around, he is chairman of the society's 150th Anniversary Committee.
'"What we're trying to do is raise awareness of Mudd's Grove itself," said Godi. "Some people think it's just another house on the corner of Argonne and Harrison."
"The anniversary committee organized several fundraising events in 2009, including a barbecue and a duck float. On Dec. 13 they held a "shabby chic" Save Mudd's Grove event with a silent auction, caroling and dinner at Spencer's Grill in Kirkwood.
'"It was a lot of fun, and people who participated really enjoyed it," said Godi.
"Still, with a $100,000 goal, it will take more than the proceeds from a few fundraisers to get the job done.
'"We've got a huge restoration project here," said Godi. "All the main part of the house is solid, but the outside around the windows needs works, almost the entire porch needs to be re-done."
"So far, the Kirkwood Historical Society has raised about $25,000 through grants, donations and fundraisers.
'"We were hoping to get a steady stream of money coming in so we could start on repairs and keep going," said Veir. "The damage is more severe than we thought, and we're putting out fires as we come to them.
'"We've already had an incident where some damage has caused us to close down the house for a few months," she said. "A gutter failed and caused extreme damage to our hearth room."
"The Kirkwood Historical Society's fundraising efforts will continue through 2010. Those wishing to contribute to the Save Mudd's Grove campaign should send a check, made out to the 150th Anniversary Committee, to the Kirkwood Historical Society, P.O. Box 220602, Kirkwood, Mo. 63122.
"Mudd's Grove is open for tours on Thursdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Cost of a tour is $2. Mudd's Grove is closed in January. For more information, visit www.kirkwoodhistoricalsociety.org. " ~ Webster Groves-Kirkwood Ties, by Fran Mannino Dec 18, 2009