County of house: Gasconade County
Location of house: Schiller St., 3rd store N. of W. 3rd St., E. side of street, Hermann
Built: South Half 1868; North half 1925; 1934
Architectural Style: Commercial Vernacular with mansard roof on south half
207 Schiller Street, Blumer Furniture Co. Building, c. 1934, Contributing (survey #156 & 157)
Originally two buildings, the building received a new façade when the second building was
constructed. The division is noticeable on the rear, with the older building marked by
segmental arched window openings. The building is 3-stories, is constructed of brick and
sits on a concrete foundation. The center bay of the building is set apart from the 3 bays on
either side All upper story windows are flat arched with stone sills and 1/1 wood sash. The
northern section of the first floor has multiple door openings, one to the north led to a
corridor serving the upper story access door and a double leaf entrance with arch that
provided opening for funerals, with casket and pall bearers utilizing this door from the main
funeral parlor once located on the first floor. The central entry door, once covered by an
ornate metal canopy suspended by chain from the front façade, accessed the store and
stairway to the second and third floors. To the south is a storefront with large display
windows and transoms above. A new canopy covers the front façade the length of the
building." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
North Half (#156)
"The façade is continuous with the much older
building adjacent to the south whose original façade
was removed to receive the one described for this
building.
"General description: Three story rectangle shaped building
constructed of tile (?) with a brick veneer resting on a concrete
foundation.
"Setting: built to the sidewalk and joined to the adjacent
building on the south with which it shares a common façade.
"cornice: Flat parapet with terra cotta coping beneath which is
a projecting grey colored terra cotta entablature above corbeled~.
brickwork.
South Half (#157)
The façade was removed when the building adjacent was constructed. See inventory number for the description.
"Built by Eugene Nasse in three major phases.
"The first two storys were built in 1868-9. The building was enlarged
in 1878 and the third story and Mansard roof added in 1883. Eugene
Nasse was the son of the influential physician and druggist August
Nasse. Eugene Nasse was a tinsmith by trade with a talent for
business. By the age of 27 he was in business selling stoves and
tinware. By the time he was 30, he had amassed a considerable
fortune in property and personal wealth. The first part of the
present building was built in 1868-9 as a two-story gable front
building used as both store and residence. In 1878 Nasse added to
the rear of the existing building and may have added a half-story.
"By the late 1870s Nasse was also a hardware merchant and in a short
time needed even more space for his store and to house his most
recent scheme. In the summer of 1883 Nasse added a full story to the
building and a tall Mansard roof into which he put a fruit drying
apparatus. By the fall of 1883 the Missouri Evaporating Company
employed 20 people and the operation ran day and night during
season. Only one year later Nasse put the building on the market,
but it was not until September of 1886 that it finally sold. In the
same month Eugene Nasse left for California. August C. Leisner,
proprietor of the White House Hotel and entrepreneur, purchased the
building and set up as a furniture dealer. The building is still
used as a furniture store.
"Additional Description: The façade was removed when the building adjacent was constructed.
"General description: Three story building rectangle shape
constructed of brick laid in common bond resting on a rock faced
and crudely tooled coursed ashlar stone foundation with full
cellar.
"setting: Built at the sidewalk on the façade and the alley on
the south. The façade is continuous with the later building
to the north to which it is joined. The façade is described
with the latter." ~ DNR Historic Survey PDF pages 700 - 715