Antebellum Cottage Historic Single-Family Home
Purchase Price $57,500
2 bed - 1 bath - 560 sqft
Located in the Local Museum Hill Historic District, this darling Antebellum home over 150 years old give or take. Therefore it is sold as is as old construction is different than today’s building standards. This home features 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. Close to Historic Downtown, restaurants and bars. Used as a VRBO (vacation rental by owner), this home brings in over $1000 per month. Inspections are welcome but home is sold as is. Construction on a 160 year old home is different than today’s standards.
Contact: Lisa Rock - ReMax St. Joseph
Call: 816-262-8462
House History & Gallery
St. Joseph began as a fairly small trading post along the Missouri River in the 1840s. The first European to put down permanent roots here was Joseph Robidoux, a fur-trader who – like most of the men in that profession – had an eye for a money-making scheme. The city was officially incorporated in 1843 and it rapidly began to grow.
Its position as the westernmost terminus for rail travel as well as its convenient position on the Missouri River meant that the city developed rapidly as jumping-off point for westernward expansion. It is no fluke that the Pony Express was developed here.
In the decade and a half before the outbreak of the Civil War, St. Joseph was growing and developing a robust commercial base. It attracted people from all over the world to come to the emerging boom town and attempt to make their fortune.
As the commercial enterprises grew, the number of workers needed also grew. Those workers needed housing and the city experienced a housing boom; small houses sprung up in what is now the historic core of the City, many in the Museum Hill neighborhood.
Following the war and the period of recovery, St. Joseph continued to grow and thrive. That growth led to the replacement of much of the pre-war building stock. Today, there are few Antebellum buildings left.
When the war ended this small house continued to provide shelter for a series of working class families. The trades practiced and businesses worked in by the people who called 119 S. 12th home gives a good view in to the enterprises that were fueling the growth of St. Joseph. Several of the occupants, including the earliest one on record Eugene Turner, worked in the building trades. Turner was a brick mason, others that followed him in to the house included a paperhanger and a plasterer – all trades in high demand as St. Joseph built the amazing Gilded Age mansions found on Museum Hill and throughout the city. Other occupants were general laborers, salesmen, and hotel clerks. The Antebellum Cottage was a place of beginnings – several newly wed couples made their home here.
The Antebellum Cottage is located in Museum Hill, a Local Historic District, which means that it is protected by the design guidelines overseen by the Landmark Commission. Its historical nature and location means that it qualifies for city programs such as the Save Our Heritage grant program.
This lovely small home is within walking distance of revitalized historic downtown St. Joseph. Shops, bars, and restaurants are an easy stroll down the hill.
The Antebellum Cottage at 119 S. 12th St. is an affordable way to own a rare piece of St. Joseph History!
