County of building: Franklin County
Location of building: W. Front St., 2nd store front E. of Cedar St., south side, Washington
Built: 1865
Classified: A-2
Current Occupant: Apartments & Streetside Tacos
District Map
"Federal/Greek Revival, circa 1849 - 1895, Coded A This group is largely represented by vernacular interpretations
of Federal and/or Greek Revival styles; it contains one of the largest
single collections of buildings (about one-fourth of the total) and
enjoyed the greatest longevity. All rest on stone foundations and all
except two are brick. The majority are three bays wide and rise two
stories with first story utilized as commercial space and -second for
residential; a few are one story commercial. ...
"Industrial, circa 1865-1935, Coded 2.
The articulation of the twelve industrial buildings generally follows
materials, forms and detailing of commercial/residential properties
dating to the same period of construction. They are usually devoid of
stylistic ornament but occasionally exhibit generic corbeled brick
cornices. The earliest, a circa 1865 pork packing structure at 314
W. Front, features two-story brick pilasters and a raised parapet
illustrated by a group of Federal/Greek Revival buildings. ... " ~ NRHP Nomination Form
"The homes and work place of a prosperous, aspiring German merchant
class, the majority of the two-story brick buildings reserved first
story rooms for commercial use and upper floors as living quarters.
Five District buildings, distinguished by a hallmark street-front gable
or high shaped parapet, are among a group of eleven surviving in the
city which Charles van Ravenswaay's study of Missouri-German
architecture cites as unique in the state. The group includes
..., the
pork packing plant of Gerhardt Tod at 314 W. Front, ...
"The largest pork packing plant in 19th century Washington, 314 Front
Street, was operated from c. 1870-91 by Gerhardt Tod from Hesse, whose
resources were valued at $100,000. A contemporary described the
thousands of hogs brought to Washington by both ferry and wagons which
lined roads from the south and west. During the 1873-74 season, over
12,000 hogs were packed by Washington firms.
" ... At about the
time Tibbe's patent expired, other pipe firms entered the industry.
One of these, Hirschl and Bendheim, had been St. Louis jobbers for
Missouri Meerschaum, and had established their own factory in St.
Louis. (16) In 1898, they moved to Washington, locating in the former pork packing building at 314 Front Street ..." ~ NRHP Nomination Form, PDF pages 14, 19, 22