County of building: St. Charles County
Location of building: N 3rd St. & Morgan St., SW corner, St. Charles
Built: c. 1865
Architectural Style: Italianate
Classified: C
Frenchtown District Map
The Person:
Christopher Weeke
was Prussian born and operate a mill in the SCO block of N. Second Street, in St. Charles, Missouri.
" ... Mittelberger moved to St. Charles and joined with Christopher Weeke in operating the Northern Mills, a partnership which lasted four years. ..." ~ St. Charles Walking Tour
"The home of Christopher Weeke and his wife Frederike Weeke was built in 1865. ... " ~ Historical St. Charles, page 92
And:
James G. Lawler
in 1891, Weeke sold the house to James G. Lawler, Manager of the St. Charles Car Co. This was the original name of the more famous American Car Foundry that built millions of railroad and street cars.
James G. Lawler is buried in the St. Charles Borromeo Cemetery
James G . Lawler, Manager, American Car and Foundry Company. Capacity 40 Passenger Coaches per Month. Furnishes Employment to 1600 Men.
" ... As elsewhere, professional managers now replaced entrepreneurs. James Lawler, who started working at the car shops in 1879 as a blacksmith at $2 a day, had been appointed foreman of the blacksmith shop, and later superintendent of the entire works. He had been appointed district manager in 1899, and the Cosmos-Monitor wrote, “Under his control the local plant has grown to be one of the best equipped plants of that great corporation.”4 Upon his death in 1922, his son, J.W. Lawler, became district manager of the plant." ~ ACF History
The Place:
" ... Among the few houses which rose two full stories or more are two atypical Italianate villa mansions, situated on spacious grounds. One of these, 305 Morgan was constructed circa 1865 by Prussian-born Christopher Weeke, who operated a mill in the SCO block of N. Second Street. " ~ NRHP Nomination Form page 32
"St. Charles Italianate residences, few in number, date from the 1860s through the 1890's and are generally large houses built by prosperous middle-class German-born and native Americans. Their primary characteristic is an enriched cornice, usually bracketed. Roofs vary from low-pitched hipped to gabled and hipped combinations. Typically roundheaded windows are found, but segmental arches and even castiron pedimented lintels or ornamental hood moldings occur. Three fine early examples (1865-70) are located at 305 Morgan, built by Prussian merchant Christopher Weeke; at 709 N. Fourth, the home of W. A. Alexander, a Virginia-born lawyer, mayor of St. Charles in 1870; and 305 Chauncey, built by the St. Charles Building Company for German-born William E. Clauss, a hardware and implement merchant." ~ Final Report, St. Charles City Historic Survey page 9
"Built: c. 1655
Walls: Brick-Painted
Foundation: Concrete block
Roof: hipped
Architectural Style: Italianate
Pedimented cast on lintels trim windows. Corbeled brick forms cornice brackets. Ionic columns support curved porch
Appears on 1869 Bird's Eye View. Vinson states the house was built by Christopher Weeke, founder of the Weeke Mill; in 1891 the house was sold to James G. Lawler, Manager of the St. Charles Car Co. (Weeke was born in Prussia)
Framed, hipped roofed carriage house to rear." ~ St. Charles City Historic Survey pages 579-580
Marker Text:
305 Morgan Street
Weeke-Lawler House (c. 1865). Christopher Weeke had the house built. James G, Lawler purchased it in 1891. The original Italianate features included elaborate cornices, a cupola and porches. When later modified took on a more classical look. Features cast iron window sills and lintels