| |
This Italianate house, located 30 miles northeast of St. Louis, was
constructed in 1858 for E.M. West, a delegate to the 1848 Illinois
Constitutional Convention who was instrumental in securing Edwardsville as
the county seat. In 1940, the lot was re-zoned for business use. The house
was expanded with a large one-story rear addition and converted into a
funeral home. Much of the original grounds were paved over for parking and
accessibility ramps were attached to the original front porch. After the
property was vacated in 2004, the owners of a neighboring Walter Burley
Griffin-designed residence purchased the house to ensure it would not be
demolished for commercial development. Over the next 2-1/2 years, the new
owners returned the structure to its 1860s appearance by rebuilding and
recasting ornamental elements on both the interior and exterior.
Alterations from the first floor’s use as a funeral parlor were reversed, a
hidden fireplace was unveiled behind 1950s cabinets, and paint analysis
helped recreate period finishes. To complete the deconversion back to a
single family house, the asphalt parking lot was torn out and the grounds
fully restored. It is now once again a jewel of the city’s local landmark
district.
Photos: Rich Berry
|
|
