County of building: St. Charles County
Location of building: E. Allen St. & Linn Ave., Wentzville
Artist: Unknown
Erected by: Crossroads Arts Council & Wentzville Historical Society
Mural Text:
“Tobacco was grown here since the 1820’s. Wentzville’s seven big factories started producing and selling products before the Civil War. The largest of them, Dula & Carr, sold their factory in 1884-1885. Tobacco was still grown by local farmers into the 1930’s and 40’s. Some are still growing it today for personal use.
Nearly every county in the state produced some leaf, while certain counties developed as major growers.
A strip of land on the western side of St. Charles County stretching from the Missouri River on the south to Eagle Creek, now Big Creek, a branch of the Cuivre River, on the north, was one of Missouri’s banner growing regions.”
The Building:
"Built: 1885
Style/Design: Folk Victorian
The Fritz Schierbaum building, located at 1 East Allen, is potentially eligible for individual listing. Dating on this building in published sources is not consistent. In Bowman's photographic compilation, the date is noted as 1876 (p.8) but on p.37, it explains that Fritz Schierbaum and his wife, Marie Heitgard Schierbaum married in 1877and came to Wentzville in 1878. As a blacksmith, it seems more likely that they did not build this large home right away and that the 1884 date noted on the county's assessors website might be more accurate.
The building was constructed as the Schierbaum home on the north side of the railroad, near the Wentzville chemical fire department building. Schierbaum was a blacksmith, who became an alderman in 1894.
At that time, Schierbaum owned a building directly to the east, known as the "Schierbaum Implement and Wagonmakers" building, a general services and goods business run by Schierbaum and family. The second floor of that building also served as the "Opera House" for dances, meetings, and parties, as well as a silent film theater and the first city hall. Schierbaum began to take catalog automobile orders for Buicks in approximately 1914, and continued to operate his goods and services building until 1924. Unfortunately, the implement building has been demolished, leaving the house as the only property associated with the Schierbaums.
After the family moved out of the house, the west side of the building was used for a variety of different businesses, including a hardware store, donut shop, clothing store, paint store and Citizen Bank. In 1914 the post office moved into the building, and remained until 1960.
The Façade has undergone minimal exterior changes, limited to the removal of operable shutters, the replacement of the wooden porch, and the replacement of the first floor's eastern window with a wooden door. This building could be evaluated as contributing to the National Register under Criterion A for its commercial or civic importance, or Criterion C for architecture. Photos of the building can be found in the Bowman and Marshal book, on pages 37, 42.
"This resource is a two-and-a-half-story, brick, gale and wing building with a stone foundation. The projecting gable western bay is comprised of a central recessed entry, wood framed storefront and display windows with cast iron columns. The second level includes three one-over-one sash windows. A Palladian round arch window with rectangular sidelights is located in what appears to be replacement simulated slate gable end. The east half has two half light, two panel wood doors with transoms under the segmental arch lintels on the first floor. The second floor of the east wing includes a similar door, and two one-over-one sash windows. All of the second level openings have segmental arched lintels. The two-story gallery porch originally had turned posts and Victorian cutwork detailing as well as wood railings on both levels, but these have been replaced with simple posts and iron railings. But, the building still retains its distinctive form, central storefront entry and the two-story gallery as well as the fenestration pattern.
"The building sits at street level on the north side of East Allen. A large parking lot is found on the east, and wraps around behind the building, connecting to North Linn." ~ Wentzville Historic Survey PDF pages 47-50