County of building: Saint Charles County
Location of structure: Monroe St., 2nd house W of N Benton St., N side, St. Charles
Built: 1905
Architect: Unknown
Architectural Style: Gable Front Cottage
Original Occupant: Ernest and Lena Radell
Map
"398. 550 Monroe Street; Gable Front; circa 1905; Contributing
Facing south, this 1½-story frame Gable Front cottage is distinguished by its 1-bay recessed porch at the southeast corner. The front gable is pedimented and a brick chimney with corbelled cap straddles the
roof ridge. On each side slope are 2 dormers with hipped roofs having wide overhanging eaves, a 1/1 window and walls clad with asphalt roofing shingles. The foundation is coursed rock-faced stone and it
is pierced by 3-light basement windows. Vinyl siding has been installed on the walls and in the tympanum, but a wide frieze or belt course of vertical siding encircles the house. The façade features a
wide 1/1 wood window in the west bay and a half-glazed wood door topped by a single-light transom is in the east bay and opens onto the recessed porch, which features a wooden deck, a box column and plain
balustrade. The column and balustrade appear to be vinyl. In the upper half story is a 1/1 window.
a. Carport; Noncontributing
The 1-car carport with round wood posts supporting a metal shed roof does not appear to be historic.
b. Shed; Contributing
The board-and-batten shed with shed roof and vertical-board door appears to be more than 50 years old." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
"Built: 1905 circa
Style/Design: Gable Front
According to the County’s tax parcels database, this house was built in 1890; however, the address is not listed in the 1891-92 city directory and the house is not shown on the 1905 plat map. In the next available directory, which was published in 1906, the property is listed as the home of Ernest and Lena Radell, and he was employed as a bartender at a saloon. By 1918-19 the home was occupied by Louis C. and Anna Hibbeler, and he was a cigar manufacturer. Alwin A. and Floretine Hackmann were the homeowners from 1921-1930, and he was the manager of William H. Rechtern & Co., which sold clothing and shoes. Mrs. Bertha Grothe (widow of Anton) purchased the property in 1931 and lived here through 1942. Fred J. and Antoinette Borgmeyer were the homeowners from 1945-1955, and Mr. Borgmeyer was a foreman at the American Car and Foundry Co. From 1957-1961 Arthur J. and Helen E. Ringhousen occupied the house, but the directories do not indicate that they owned it. Mr. Ringhousen was a welder at McDonnell Aircraft.
"Facing south, this one-and-one-half story, frame, Gable Front cottage is distinguished by its one-bay recessed porch at the
southeast corner of the façade. The front gable is pedimented, and a brick chimney with corbelled cap straddles the ridge of the
roof. On each side slope of the roof are two dormers with hipped roofs having wide overhanging eaves, and each dormer has a
1/1 window and walls clad with asphalt roofing shingles. The foundation is coursed rock-faced stone, and it is pierced by three light basement windows. Vinyl siding has been installed on the walls and in the tympanum, but a wide frieze or belt course has
been created with vertical siding (it is unknown if this design imitates the original design of the house). The two-bay main façade
features a wide 1/1 window in the west bay, and a half-glazed wood door topped by a single-light transom is in the east bay and
opens onto the recessed porch, which features a wooden stairway and deck, a box column and plain balustrade. The column and
balustrade appear to be vinyl. In the upper half story is a 1/1 window. Three 1/1 windows are on each side elevation, and there is
a recessed porch at the northeast corner of the house.
"A public sidewalk spans the front (south) of this flat lot and an alley extends along the west side. A concrete sidewalk with a
single step leads from the street to the porch stairway, where it then turns right to wrap around the east elevation and lead to the
rear yard. A landscape bed is to the left of the stairway, along the front wall of the house, and a couple of mature trees are on the
west side of the property. Opening off the alley is a one-car carport with round wood posts supporting a metal shed roof. The
carport does not appear to be historic and is noncontributing. To the east of the carport is a small board-and-batten shed with
shed roof and vertical-board door. The shed is in deteriorated condition but is contributing." ~ St. Charles Historic Survey Phase III, PDF pages 594-597