Casa Alvarez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Casa Alvarez
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Front view of Casa Alvarez, around 1950
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 Location in Missouri
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| Location | 289 Rue St. Denis, Florissant, Missouri |
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| Built | ca. 1790 |
| Architectural style | French Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 76002180 |
| Added to NRHP | June 18, 1976 |
The Casa Alvarez is a historic house in Florissant, Missouri. It is built in the French Colonial style. This house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is one of the oldest homes in St. Louis County. The house helps us remember the time when Spain controlled the Upper Louisiana area. You can find it at 289 Rue St. Denis, surrounded by newer homes.
Contents
What Does Casa Alvarez Look Like?
The Casa Alvarez was built around 1790. Back then, Florissant was called St. Ferdinand. It was a village mostly settled by Spanish and French Catholic families.
Original Design and Changes Over Time
When it was first built, the house had just one room. This room had a very large fireplace. Before 1840, some big changes were made. The high ceiling was replaced to create a second floor. Part of the main room was used to build a staircase. Also, dormer windows (windows that stick out from a sloping roof) and gable windows (windows in the triangular part of a wall) were added.
In 1840, three more rooms were built. A second fireplace was also added to the house. Later, in the 1920s and 1930s, a new dining room, kitchen, and porches were put in. The house also has a full basement. At some point, a bathroom was added on the first floor.
Who Lived in Casa Alvarez?
The house was first built for Eugenio Alvarez. He came to St. Ferdinand around 1770. He was 36 years old and a soldier. He served under Pedro Piernas, who was a Spanish leader in Upper Louisiana. Eugenio Alvarez also worked as a military storekeeper. He met important early settlers like Pierre Laclède and Pierre Chouteau.
Changes in Ownership
Eugenio Alvarez passed the house to his son, Auguste, in the 1840s. The house stayed in the Alvarez family until 1905. Then, Humphrey Moynihan bought it. He was a mayor of Florissant.
In 1910, Moynihan sold the house to Auguste Archambault, Jr. Four years later, in 1914, Hermann von Schrenk bought it. He owned the home until 1955. Hermann von Schrenk was a botanist, which means he studied plants. He was especially interested in the lumber industry. He helped introduce a way to protect railroad ties (the wooden beams under train tracks) using a special coating called creosote in the United States. The von Schrenk family worked to restore the house. They also made its gardens much bigger and more beautiful.
In the 1960s, Harold Zimmerman bought the house. In 1976, the Casa Alvarez was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historical building.
