Purchase Price $775,000
3 bed · 4.5 bath · 7,593 sqft
This elegant historic mansion has undergone extensive restoration/renovation in the past few years. The elegance of this mansion will take your breath away. It features three master bedrooms with baths, a formal dining room, formal sitting rooms, a foyer, and butler’s pantry. The kitchen is complete with built-ins, a double door sub-zero refrigerator concealed behind custom woodwork, and a $25,000 gas stove. Throughout the home is wonderful Bradbury & Bradbury paper complimenting the gorgeous leaded stained glass.
Contact: Amanda Artigas — Show-me Real Estate
Call: (816) 804-3723
Mansion History & Gallery
Local lore says that the mansion at 631 Hall St. was built by Adam Schuster who owned the house next door in 1888 for his daughter as a wedding present. As romantic as that story is, it is just a story. It was Canadian born James H. Robison who commissioned this amazing home from E.J. Eckel. He made his fortune by catering to the hardware needs of the settlers moving west; later becoming president of the milling company and a banker. His wife Josephine died in 1872 so he was a widower when he took up residence by 1890 and in 1894 was joined by his niece the recently widowed Rachel Matson. Miss Matson was a social butterfly who found this amazing mansion to be a wonderful place to host parties. When Robison died in 1906 she was his executrix and his primary heir – this allowed her to continue to live at 631 Hall St. and to pursue her extensive social life. She remained here until her death in 1934.
Following the death of Rachel the house stood empty for about four years waiting for its next resident. In 1938 another widow, Helen Steele Wheeler moved in. She was familiar with the house since she and her husband the dry goods merchant William W. Wheeler had lived just down the street at 703 Hall St. in the early 1920s. Helen lived a quiet life at 631; she seems to have had no live-in staff and largely kept to herself. Her primary social outlet was visiting the family of her son William Webb Wheeler Jr. at his lovely home at 2807 Frederick. Helen died in October 1944 and is buried with her husband in Mount Auburn.
Again, it took a bit of time for the right owner to come along. In 1945 the Reverend Adiel Moncrief took up residence. Rev. Moncrief was the pastor of the 1st Baptist Church and was a regular speaker to service organizations as well as the author of a regular column in the St. Joseph Union-Observer.
During the 1950s 631 was home to the family of Dr. F. Greg Thompson Jr. Dr. Thompson was the clinical director for the Thompson-Brumm-Knepper Clinic located at 902 Edmond.
In more recent years the Robison Mansion has been lovingly renovated and restored. The house exudes the historic luxury that it was intended to convey by its earliest designers and owners but also has the latest of modern conveniences.
