Sutter-Meyer House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Sutter-Meyer House
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Sutter-Meyer House
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 Location in St. Louis
Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | University City |
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| Area | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
| Built | 1873 |
| Architect | William Sutter |
| NRHP reference No. | 82004725 |
| Added to NRHP | April 12, 1982 |
The Sutter-Meyer House is the oldest known house in University City, Missouri, United States. It was built in 1873. In 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a special list of important historical buildings. Later, in 1986, it was named a Landmark of University City.
Contents
History of the House
Building the Sutter-Meyer House
William and Julia Sutter likely built this house in 1873. It was on a large piece of land they got from William's father, John Sutter. John Sutter's farm was located where streets like Sutter, Etzel, Pennsylvania, and Olive Street Road are today.
John Sutter (1815–1867) came from Germany with his family in 1831. In 1850, he and his wife Ursula built their own home, "The Homestead," which is no longer standing. John was a farmer who sold milk to big hotels in St. Louis. He had 16 children, and William Sutter, born in 1846, was one of them.
Life on Olive Street Road
The Sutter farm was on Olive Street Road. This road was built in 1851 using wooden planks. It connected St. Louis to farms and towns further west. A small community grew near the Sutter farm and was known as Sutter, Missouri. It even had the local post office.
In 1875, William Sutter sold his house and land. The new owner was Roman Meyer (1847–1913), another German immigrant. Like many people living along Olive Street Road, Meyer was a "truck farmer." This means he grew vegetables and fruits to sell to the growing city of St. Louis.
Changes in the Neighborhood
Over the years, the Sutter family's land was divided into smaller pieces. These new plots were used to build homes in the suburbs. In 1906, this area became part of a new town called University City.
As the area grew, the Meyer family kept farming. They provided fresh vegetables and fruits to the new neighborhoods around them.
In 1951, much of the Meyer farm's empty land was re-planned. It became a new neighborhood called the Keating Subdivision. Chamberlain Street was extended to become a dead-end street. Because of this, the old house's address changed. It went from 6805 Olive Street Road to 6826 Chamberlain Court. New houses were built on Chamberlain Court in the 1950s. The Sutter-Meyer house stayed in the Meyer family until Edward Meyer, Roman Meyer's son, passed away in 1969.
What the House Looks Like
The Sutter-Meyer House has a main part that is one and a half stories tall. It has three windows across the front and is one window deep. There's also a single-story part at the back. A two-car garage was added later to the side.
All parts of the house are made of brick and painted white. The windows are tall and narrow. They have two panes of glass in the top part and two in the bottom. The tops of the windows are slightly curved.
A porch runs across the front of the main house. Its roof is held up by decorative supports and square posts. The floor of the porch is now made of concrete. Two chimneys stick out from the back of the main roof. They have fancy brick designs at the top.
Inside, many original wooden parts are still there. This includes decorative frames above the doors and windows. There is also a fireplace in the south room. The stairs go up from the front door and turn into another room. There used to be another set of stairs that went to the kitchen. Stairs to the basement go down from the back porch, which was closed in during 1951. The kitchen has been updated with modern features.
Quick Facts About the House
- The land around the house is a small part of the original large farm.
- The land south of the Sutter-Meyer house is now built on.
- Since 2003, the Sutter-Meyer House has not been owned by a private family.
- The house does not face Olive Boulevard anymore.
