Ehrhardt Building - California, MO - People-Named Places on Waymarking.com

County of building: Moniteau County
Location of building: Oak St. & Versailles Ave., California
Built: 1864
Architectural Style: Italianate

The Person:
" ... John G Ehrhardt was born March 22, 1827 near Leipzig Prussia. He was in the coal mining business in Germany before coming to America in 1851. He came to St Louis for a year and then to Moniteau County. In 1854 he went to New York City. After gold was discovered he went to the State of California for a while. He returned to Germany in 1858 and married Liberte Heysel. After marriage he returned to Moniteau County where he engaged in farming. In 1864 he started a mercantile business in California. In 1868 he laid out the town of Excelsior in Morgan County, building the first house and a store. After three years he sold out and started a firm in Olean, which he sold in 1889. He served several terms as county treasurer. He had six children and died October 7, 1898. He is buried in the Lutheran Cemetery." ~ Alan Sparks - Moniteau County MOGenWeb

The Place:
"Italianate Commercial Erhardt Store at 501 S. Oak. INV # 004
The last decade of the 19th century marked a change in the history of California. Many of the early merchants and entrepreneurs died during this decade. Gotfried Erhardt died and left his business to his son Theo who built a much larger store on the original site, which has now been rehabbed and is the Wood Place Public Library." ~ California Commercial District Survey Report

"One of the oldest commercial operations was housed here after construction ca 1900 by Theo Erhardt, son of the founder who started business in an earlier brick building in 1864. This building nearly doubled the size of the store and was the first of many similar buildings built before 1910. The use of stone for lintels and sills, and the use of stone in the pilasters were a design motif seen in several buildings in California, most of which can be credited to O. E. Sprouce. Cast iron columns were used to support the second floor while keeping most of the first floor open space. This building was acquired by California Progress, Inc. that rehabilitated it as the home of the Wood Place Public Library

"The family was proud of their contribution to the heritage of California and the pressed metal cornice carries the family name, and in larger letters, Established 1864. Large one over one sash units are used on the second floor. The first floor features a recessed double leaf door with wood and glass storefronts. A modern awning covers the large expanse of glazed store windows in the east elevation " ~ California Historic Survey, pages 239-243

"The Ehrhardt Building at 501 S. Oak Street has a Mesker Brothers cornice.
"We can now say that Meskers found their way into at least 1,000 towns in North America. How’s that for impact? The latest group of identified buildings is from California, Missouri, which breaks the 1,000th mark of confirmed communities with Mesker facades. 997 are in the United States and 3 are in Canada. The total number of identified buildings is 2,395. California boasts at least six surviving examples which include works by both companies, placing the town in slightly more selective company." ~ Mesker Brothers

"Located in the historic Ehrhardt Building, this building was constructed in 1864 and was home to the J. G. Ehrhardt Mercantile Company. The building was purchased by California Progress, Inc. in 1995 and restored to preserve a historical landmark in the community. The library moved into the building in August 1998" ~ Wikipedia

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