County of building: Saint Charles County
Location of structure: S 8th St., 2nd house S of Jefferson St., W side, St. Charles
Built: 1895
Architect: Unknown
Architectural Style: Late Victorian
Original Occupant: Unknown
Map
"114. 123 South Eighth Street; Late Victorian; circa 1895; Contributing
Originally a duplex, this 1½-story painted brick house has been converted into a single-family residence.
The steep side-gabled roof is trimmed with a frieze having corbelled dentils and cornice returns. The
front slope of the roof has 2 gabled dormers with 1/1 windows. To each side of the windows is molded
trim with plinth blocks and bullseye corner blocks and in each gable end is a jigsawn ornament. The 4-
bay façade originally had doors in the center 2 bays and windows in the outer bays, but the left door has
been converted to a window. The single-leaf door, which is located in the second bay from the right, is a
replacement 4-panel wood door with fanlight in the upper part and a stained glass transom is above the
door. In the other bays are replacement 1/1 windows and those in the outer 2 bays have flat jack arches,
lug sills, and louvered wooden blinds. The center 2 bays are protected by a porch with wooden deck,
chamfered porch posts, corner brackets, jigsawn balustrade and hip roof. An exterior end brick chimney
is on the north elevation.
a. Outbuilding; circa 1895 with circa 1923 addition; Contributing
This long, narrow 1-story structure was built in 2 phases. The west half is the original section and has
board-and-batten siding and a standing seam metal roof. Added circa 1923, the east half has a corrugated
metal roof and vertical board walls. The roof is gabled, but its north slope is much steeper than the south
slope. On the north elevation is a single opening in the addition that contains a hinged vertical board
shutter, and on the west elevation is a man door. The original use of the building is unknown.
b. Garage; circa 1923; Contributing
Built circa 1923, this 1-story, L-shaped structure has a shed roof topped by an interior brick chimney.
The walls are board-and-batten and the roof is standing seam metal. On the north façade is a board-and-batten, sliding garage door, and to its right is a hinged board-and-batten man door." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
"Built: 1895 circa
Style/Design: Late Victorian/Side Gable
The house was originally a duplex, and the address on the 1909-1947 Sanborn maps was 121-123 South Eighth. The county's
tax parcels database gives the date of construction as 1880; however, this address was not listed in the 1891-92 city directory.
The next directory, which was published in 1906, lists the occupants of 121 as F.H. Edward Meyer, a clerk at Kuhlman’s, and his
wife Cora, while the occupants of 123 were Henry Jennerjohn, a carpenter, and his wife Louisa A. No occupants were listed for
the 121 address in 1908, but the Jennerjohns still occupied 123 that year. Although the Sanborn maps continue to show the
house as a duplex through 1947, from 1910 through 1959 the only occupant listed in the city directories was the Julius F. and
Emma Meyer family, but they were not listed as the owners until the 1931-32 directory. Julius worked as a painter and
paperhanger, and he apparently died prior to 1955, when his wife is listed as a widow. (Prior to 1910, the city directories indicate
that Julius lived with his parents next door at 125 South Eighth.) After the death of her husband, Emma continued to live in the
house through at least 1959, but the 1961 directory’s entry for this address was “no return.” The house's historic name is given as
the Julius and Emma Meyer House. Although they were not the original occupants, they lived there for about 50 years. Although
the windows have been replaced, the house retains sufficient integrity to contribute to the potential district.
"The Sanborn maps show that this T-shaped, one-and-one-half story, painted brick house was originally a duplex, but it has been
converted into a single-family residence and the porches on the north and south sides of the rear ell have been enclosed, giving
the house a rectangular footprint. The steep side-gabled roof is trimmed with a frieze having corbelled dentils, and there are
incomplete returns on the gable ends. The front slope of the roof has two gabled dormers with 1/1 windows, and to each side of
the windows is molded trim with plinth blocks. The trim is capped by bullseye corner blocks, and in each gable end is a jigsawn
ornament. The main façade is four bays wide and, based on physical evidence, it originally had doors in the center two bays and
windows in the outer bays, but the left door has been converted to a window. The single-leaf door, which is located in the second
bay from the right, is a replacement four-panel wood door with fanlight in the upper area, and a stained glass transom with the street number is above the door. In the other bays are replacement 1/1 windows, and those in the outer two bays have flat jack
arches, lug sills, and louvered wooden blinds. The center two bays are protected by a porch with wooden deck, chamfered porch
posts, corner brackets, jigsawn balustrade, and hipped roof. An exterior end brick chimney is on the north elevation, where there
are two 1/1 windows with flat jack arches on the first floor and a 1/1 window in the upper half story. The one-story, shed-roof
porches on the north and south sides of the rear ell have been enclosed. The north porch has been enclosed with glass but
retains its balustrade, and the south porch appears to be enclosed with lapped siding. On the rear, a large shed-roof addition
extends from the peak of the main roof to the west wall of the rear ell but does not extend over the enclosed porches. The house
retains sufficient integrity to contribute to the historic character of the potential district.
"Although situated on a large lot, the house is built up to the south property line, creating a large north side yard. The front yard is
shallow, and a wood retaining wall with planter boxes extends along the public sidewalk. A concrete stair set within the wall leads
to a concrete sidewalk that provides access to the front porch. A combination privacy and chain link fence encloses the rear
yard. An alley extends along the north property line, and in the north end of the rear yard are two outbuildings:
"1. The eastern outbuilding is a long, narrow, one-story structure that was built in two phases. The west half of the building, which
is the original section, has board-and-batten siding and a standing seam metal roof. The eastern half, which was added between
1917 and 1929, has a corrugated metal roof, and the walls are finished with vertical boards. The roof is gabled, but its north slope
is much deeper than the south slope. The foundation is not visible. On the north elevation is a single opening in the addition that
contains a hinged vertical board shutter, and on the west elevation is a man door. The east elevation is obscured by vines on the
chain link fence. The use of the building is not indicated on the Sanborn maps. It is contributing.
"2. The western outbuilding is a one-story, L-shaped structure with a shed roof that is pierced by an interior brick chimney. The
Sanborn maps indicate that the structure was built between 1917 and 1929, and it is labeled as a garage on the 1929 and 1947
Sanborn maps, but the presence of a chimney indicates that it may have been used for another purpose prior to 1929. The walls
are clad with board-and-batten siding, and the roof is standing seam metal. On the north elevation is a board-and-batten, sliding
garage door, and to the right of the garage door is a hinged board-and-batten man door. There are no openings on the west
elevation, and at the north end of the east elevation is a hinged board-and-batten man door. The privacy fence obscures the
remainder of the east elevation, but there appears to be a shed roof porch on the south end. The building is contributing." ~ St. Charles Historic Survey Phase II, PDF pages 614-619