Stripping the Mantels at the Shakespeare Chateau

Sometimes amazing things are hidden under layers of paint.

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Enter Stage Right: 40 Years of the Arts in St. Joseph

There are so many things that make St. Joseph an amazing city to live in; certainly, our history and historic architecture is part of it. But many people don’t realize how robust our arts scene is.

The late 1970s/1980s were a period of great growth in local arts organizations. This is true in St. Joseph as well as nationally. This was the period of the creation of some of our most enduring and innovative arts organizations – In fact of the 6 arts organizations funded by the Allied Arts Council Arts Fund, 4 are 39-40 years old: Creative Arts Productions which provides a month long theater workshop for youth between ages 8 and 18 culminating in a professional level performance, and Performing Arts Association, which works to strengthen the performing arts in St. Joseph by providing access to the best in all performing arts disciplines.  Robidoux Resident Theater, a Community theater company that puts on productions at a variety of local venues, and St. Joseph Community Chorus, the largest all-volunteer choir performing organization in Northwest Missouri. The Arts Fund itself began in 1983 and is 36 years old.

Creative Arts Productions: In late 1979 a group of 12 came together as the first board of directors and incorporated as Creative Arts Productions. The goal was to instill in regional youth a life-long passion for the arts. The means that they chose to do this was unique: an intensive month-long theater workshop culminating in a musical theater performance.

The first performance was “It’s a Hard Life” in the summer of 1980.Since then they have performed such shows as “A Summer Musical Review”, “The Hobbit,” “Peter Pan,”  “Tom Sawyer” and the “Wizard of Oz.”

A primary focus of the group is to provide high-quality professional staff so that participants get real theater education. At the end of each production the participants get together with the staff to choose the musical for the next year – in 2018 they chose Elf Jr. This year’s workshop began on July 1 and will continue through the 26th from 8 a.m. to noon. The performances are July 27 and 28 at the Missouri Theater.

Performing Arts Association – like many arts groups, PAA grew out of earlier roots. As early as 1930, there was a group known as Civic Music, which brought professional arts programming to St. Joseph. Among the world-class artists they brought were Isaac Stern and Marian Anderson – this is also important because of the diversity. In 1962, Civic Music became Community Concerts with a focus on classical music.

In 1976, due to concerns about plans to demolish the historic Missouri Theater, a group known as The Town Hall Center was created in order to increase programming in the theater in order to strengthen the case for its restoration.

As always, these arts groups struggled for financial security, so in 1978 Community Concerts and the Town Hall Center came together as the Performing Arts Association.

PAA plans to develop a second arts series for a smaller venue that will feature more family and classical performances.

Robidoux Resident Theatre had its first season in 1980. They presented 3 shows “Our Town,” “The House of Blue Leaves,” and “the Fantastics.” Since then, shows have included Mamma Mia, the Wizard of Oz, and A Christmas Carol. Their mission statement: “Robidoux Resident Theatre engages, inspires, entertains and challenges our community through quality theatrical and artistic productions while providing a stage for artists to perform and cultivate their artistic expression. We provide life-long educational programming, ensuring the long-term viability for community theatre in Northwest Missouri.” They program at the Missouri Theater, Robidoux Landing Playhouse (dinner theater), Newest venue is the Ruby Theatre – formerly Temple…., the complex, which includes performance and classroom space as well as administrative offices, opened in 2018. Currently holding their children’s theater workshop.

 St. Joseph Community Chorus: Founded in 1980, under the leadership of Frank D. Thomas. Community Chorus seeks to foster the enjoyment and appreciation of quality choral music among its membership and the regional community by providing an organization of the highest caliber to present exceptional performances of choral literature. The Chorus is open to singers high school and above and currently has a roster of 85 singers (it has had as many as 106)

When the Community Chorus was founded in 1980 there were 35 singers recruited from area church choirs. Over the years it has performed in partnership with a large number of other arts/music organizations including the St. Joseph Symphony, the Paul Mesner Puppets, and Missouri Western State University.

All of these groups frequently perform at the Missouri Theater – the primary arts venue in the city. This spectacular movie palace opened to the public on June 25, 1927 showing “Rough House Rosie” starring ‘It Girl’ Clara Bow. For nearly 50 years the theater operated as a first run movie palace, until the finances simply did not work and the theater closed in mid 1970s.

For two years (until 1980), in addition to providing arts programming, PAA managed the Missouri Theater for the City. In that capacity and in partnership with the City, PAA undertook a capital campaign to raise monies for the continued renovation of the Missouri Theatre. PAA continues to work with the City to promote the use and preservation of Missouri Theater. In 1995 PAA began a $.50 per ticket restoration fee to fund lighting and sound improvements at Missouri Theater.

Recently there have been significant technological improvements to the Missouri Theater: T-coil Looping provided by Sertoma. Most recently a new sound system, that gives it the ability to host technologically sophisticated shows.

In addition to CAP, RRT, and PAA the St. Joseph Symphony calls this home and recently Mammoth Productions has been programming the venue bringing in national touring shows.

St. Joseph’s strong arts community is unusual for a city of our size. As you look around you can see it everywhere – we have wonderful public art: the sculpture walk, the murals, etc. The fact that the organizations that were created 40 years ago continue to thrive and to enrich our city is something that we should be proud of… and more importantly, to support. If you haven’t gone to the symphony: go. Take your kids and check out some of the children’s theater, go see the murals, go on the sculpture walk, go to dinner theater. There are wonderful things to do in St. Joseph!

The House that Beer Built: August Nunning and His House at 1401 Jules

by Bob Fitzpatrick

Bob Fitzpatrick is the expert on early St. Joseph breweries and the people that owned and worked in them.

The impressive Queen Anne structure located at 1401 Jule Street has the unique distinction of having originally been a spacious, comfortable if ornate, home of the wealthy son of the second brewer of St. Joseph, Mr. August Nunning.  Henry Nunning, August’s father, arrived in St. Joseph in 1854 with a less than one-year old August Nunning. Henry had landed originally in LaPorte, Indiana in 1849 where he worked in his chosen vocation of brewer at the small Zahn Brewery. 

It was in nearby Michigan City that Henry met and married his wife Miss Johanna Louise Arndt in 1853.  When Henry moved to St Joseph his wife, her mother and her younger sister Julia Arndt would all make the journey west.   Julia would eventually marry Louis Fuelling in 1874 which further cemented the relationship of the brewer Henry Nunning and bottling company owner Fuelling.  As a matter of fact when Henry decided to visit his family in Germany in 1868, Louis Fuelling managed the brewery affairs for his brother-in-law for nearly a year.

In 1878, at the age of 24, young Mr. August Nunning was having the time of his life.  He had just proposed to his fiance, Miss Mary Blair.  Her father, William Blair was a building contractor and in fact is credited with the building of the Miller house on Ashland Avenue as well as the home of Joe Davis among other significant commercial projects. Blair was also the builder of the lagering cellar beneath the yet to be constructed mansion.  Unfortunately Mr. Blair would be unable to walk his daughter down the wedding aisle as he had mysteriously been killed on a railroad trip east in 1867 to collect debts owed to him.  Apparently Blair had stepped outside his main car, possibly for a smoke, possibly to talk to another man when he either fell, jumped, or was pushed off over a large ravine and the body never found.  As a contractor Mr. Blair had a cascading series of debts which would be embarrassing for his heirs and especially his daughter Mary and his forlorn wife. The bills would continue to pile up as liens and Sherriff sales continuously appeared in the local newspapers. Eventually Blair would be declared dead in 1871.  Mary’s brother William would share her father’s responsibilities and escort her down the aisle and give his sister’s hand to the young bachelor August.

The wedding was a wonderful celebration of the joining of hearts of the two popular young people and none were more proud of the couple then a beaming Henry Nunning.  At the wedding the happy father of the groom entertained his many guests, but this would be more of a private affair with a formal reception to follow after the newlyweds returned from their month long wedding trip.  Henry was a good and generous businessman and had a large following of friends.  The Morning Herald would remark that they noticed a thrilled Henry giving a fat envelope to his only son August, presumably stuffed with $ 5,000 and the deed to the property at 1401 Jule. 

This property was literally above the massive lagering cellar that Henry built back in 1872.  An expensive but necessary asset to any brewer, prior to mechanical refrigeration in the mid 1880’s, was the subterranean and in this case, one hundred twenty feet long cellar that kept the curing lager beer at a constant temperature of 40-50 degrees.  The proud Henry wished his son and new daughter-in-law a fond farewell as they went on a splendid wedding trip that would include a trip to visit the Arndt’s, Henry’s in-laws, in Michigan City, Indiana.

To the utter horror to all that knew them, upon their return to St Joseph Mary Blair Nunning would develop pneumonia and die in her husband’s arms, within six months of their wonderful wedding.  The St Joseph Gazette-Herald commented, “But like the dissolving shadows of a gorgeous dream, all these roseate surroundings were broken up and scattered in a moment.  Like the brilliant moonlight, bathing castle and turret and wall in a glow of beauty, but suddenly clouded and wrapped in blackest gloom, this charming picture has faded from our gaze.”

Mary Nunning

 The recently wed August had married the love of his life and no other woman would ever live up to his beloved Mary.  Gone was August’s desire to have many children and gone was his father Henry’s dream of grandson’s to follow in the management of the brewery business. A heartbroken August would literally pour himself into the management of the brewery from this point forward.

On March 16, 1885 at a party to celebrate Henry Nunning’s sixty-fifth birthday, Henry remarked to another old St Joseph pioneer in attendance, August Vegely, that he had had a premonition that this would be his last birthday, Vegely agreed and thought that he also was in his last year of life. And in fact they both died days apart with Henry Nunning leaving this world on March 26, 1885 and August Vegely less than 24 hours later on March 27th.

It was said that the funeral of Henry Nunning, interred at Mt. Mora, was the largest funeral procession ever seen up to that point.  The brewery business and its valuable property was willed to August Nunning while his three sisters Julia, Amelia and Louise each received $ 5,000 from their father’s estate.

August Nunning engaged local architectural team of Edmund J. Eckel and George Mann in 1887 to begin construction of his mansion at 1401 Jule street, above the lagering cellar, that was to be a home of undying love for his wife Mary but now served as a shell to the family life that August had always dreamed of but life had derailed to now that of a bachelor’s residence complete with a beer-tap in his parlor which reached the brewery beneath his splendid house. About ninety feet of cellar remains, approximately thirty feet below the lowest point of the basement.  Entry now is via a sheet metal lined shaft which may have enclosed the very line that led from the brewery below to the mansion on top.  The wealthy Nunning would have surely descended in a different manner than is currently available but that question is now left to our imagination.

The Nunning House at 1401 Jules is currently for sale. Find out more about its history under Single Family Homes.

Over the course of his lifetime the August Nunning’s mansion would be equally well regarded as a place for enjoying the good life of parties and entertainments but also to the pursuit of fine literature though his highly regarded private library, with many first editions and many German language books; the Nunning house was regularly visited by out of town scholars.  Nunning spared no expense in furnishing his house including an over ten foot tall stained glass rendering of Romeo and Juliet to commemorate his complete and unequivocal love for his departed wife.  The mansion would include over thirty stained-glass windows.  Nunning also had visiting fresco artists complete original works of art in various rooms, not the least his bachelor’s bar in the basement which was as splendid as any bar in any saloon in the city, complete with a brass rail and constructed of Birdseye maple a rare and expensive wood that also adorned the main parlor of the house.  The cost of the house in 1887 was reported to be $ 20,000 which equates to $ 540,000 in 2019.

Later in the 1890’s, having tired of the constant need to invest in his brewery and possibly more importantly, a particularly disagreeable beer war with out of town brewers who were literally dumping their product in St. Joseph and selling for half the going price of beer at $ 5.00 per barrel, August Nunning was ready or a life change.  This was the era in national brewing history when there was massive consolidation of U.S. breweries by foreign interests.  There had been rumors that Nunning would sell out to an English syndicate and then after visiting the Chicago World’s fair in 1893 to a German syndicate.  None of these plans would work out but consolidation was now a consideration locally to stave off the predatory tendencies of the big national breweries many of whom already had beer depots in the city.  At this very time, across town at the St. Joseph Brewery, now a forty-five year old brewery was dilapidated and the management was looking to rebuild their brewery at a new location.  Among other improvements that the St Joseph Brewery needed badly to remain competitive included the need to wean the old structure off of the old and expensive technology of using river ice to stock their ice houses every winter.  August Nunning was the first brewer in town to use the modern technology of mechanical refrigeration and his brewery had in fact been retrofitted five years earlier to accommodate the new technology in an efficient manner.

With the momentum of St Joseph Brewing’s needs and possibly August Nunning’s apathy, a lease was made on February 16, 1895 enabling the St. Joseph Brewing Company to lease Nunning’s modern brewing plant, one year at a time, for the price of $ 9,000 per year.  At any time the St. Joseph Brewing Company would have the option of buying the Nunning Brewery outright for $ 150,000.  As a point of interest the 2019 value of $ 9,000 is approximately $ 274,833 per year.

Thus ended the reign of the Nunning Brewery. Begun in 1854 and leased in 1895, the family business had lasted forty-one years and two generations.  It was reported that August Nunning would travel abroad for five years.

August Nunning would live in his mansion until he died on March 13, 1909.

Two years prior to his death August had a stroke and married his housekeeper, Miss May Dill from Hiawatha, Kansas.  Knowing that his two sisters Julia Nunning Byrne and Amelia Nunning Carbry did not care for August’s housekeeper and now wife, he had a note in his will that his sisters were not to interfere with his new wife’s disposition of his property. “… and my said wife shall never be required to account to my said sisters for more than their proportions of the income aforesaid actually received from income producing property.”

This was particularly biting to his sisters who clearly noticed the irony and similarity of their father’s marriage of the housekeeper/seamstress Frances after their mother Johanna died in 1867 while giving birth to her eighth child.  The animosity was so great that Julia Nunning Byrne would leave town and to her credit attended college in South Bend, Indiana. 

May Dill Nunning would soon marry Robert Atkinson on May 27, 1910, and would sell the magnificent mansion at 1401 Jule for $ 25,000 in 1912 to a JW Frederick.  We don’t know what became of August Nunning’s fine and valuable book collection.

Preservation of St. Joseph History at the Downtown Library

St. Joseph is a historic city, no question about that. And when questioned, most people can tell you a little about Joe Robidoux, Jesse James, and the Pony Express. But often that’s as far as it gets.

There is a lot more to St. Joe history than those three things and the Downtown Public Library is working hard to bring a greater awareness about our rich history through a number of projects. Historic St. Joseph Foundation members and Reference Librarians Jennifer Sanders-Tutt and Marina Trifan are emerging as some of the most knowledgeable folks in town on our diverse history.

Historic Cemeteries and the “Death Book”

Marina Trifan is the cemetery expert at the Library. This focus has emerged as a part of the genealogy collection at the Library as well as Marina’s own interest. Marina is working to create an index of all of the cemeteries and graveyards in Buchanan County, complete with coordinates, number of interments, and founding date. When she began on the project, she found that the list of cemeteries had not been updated in many years and that the locations for many were impossibly vague: 8 mi S of Rushville on E side of rd near large pine tree” or “near Cosby”. Worse than that, some simply have the township and range listed (which is a shockingly large area to search, particularly when you get out into the country).

As she was looking in the vault at the Library, Jennifer found what is being called the “Death Book.” This is a ledger containing an accounting of the deaths of St. Joseph residents between 1891 and 1909. This is a remarkable resource that fills a real need. The Missouri State Archives have put Missouri Death Certificates online, but that collection only covers deaths between 1910 and 1968. Marina and others at the Library are working to create a full index to the ledger including names, dates, cause of death, location, civil condition, age, and attending physician. This is a long-term project as there are over 16,000 names in the “Death Book.”

History Speaks

Jennifer Sanders-Tutt coordinates the History Speaks speaker series that is presented in conjunction with the First Saturdays in downtown. Each month a different speaker gives a lively presentation on an aspect of St. Joseph history that should be better known.

Sanders-Tutt has been organizing the series since 2015. Before her involvement, it was known as Local History Stage and took place at the Joyce Raye Patterson Center. It now takes place in the Owen Room at the Downtown Library.

Audiences for the series are steadily growing due to the fascinating topics that are featured. One presentation that sticks in Jennifer’s mind is one given by Chelsea Howlett on the Noyes Home for Children (formerly known as the Home for Little Wanderers). Everyone in town knows that it’s there, but few of us are aware of its fascinating history.

If you have suggestions for topics for the series, please contact Jennifer Sanders-Tutt at the Downtown Library.

Both women speak of how their work has changed the way that they look at St. Joseph and its history. They are acutely aware of the great number of stories that still need to be told. In the course of her research, Marina came across traces of a substantial Eastern European community in the Southside, which came as a surprise to her thus underscoring the need for more research concerning the immigration history of the City.

Information about all of these projects can be found on the St. Joseph Public Library webpage.

The Man Who Designed St. Joseph

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There is no one in St. Joseph history who is as responsible for the look and feel of the historic city as the architect E.J. Eckel. It was a glitch in the train schedule that brought Eckel to the city and it only took an evening’s stroll around the growing city to convince him that he could make a profitable career here. Over the course of the many decades-long career in St. Joseph, Eckel designed all sorts of structures from grand public buildings to very modest commercial structures. Though too many of his buildings have been lost to time and demolition, there are still a large number of them still standing. At any given time there are several on the real estate market. 

Edmund Jacques Eckel was born in Strasbourg (Alsace), France. As a child he demonstrated a natural ability to draw and had an early interest in architecture. This interest was given a practical grounding when, at the age of 14 he worked with a relative who was a building contractor. This background opened the doors to an exclusive professional education.[1]

He gained admittance to the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, then the most famous school of architecture in the world. The education offered at the Ecole followed a rigidly prescribed path that led to a career – a path that Eckel followed faithfully. In 1863 he joined an atelier (studio) as an aspirant. In 1868, he determined that he had completed his education at the Ecole (there was no graduation at that time, students simply departed when they chose). He determined to take his education and move to the United States where he hoped there were prospects for a man such as himself.[2]

The field of professional architecture in the United States was not as developed as it was in Europe; thus, formally trained architects were in somewhat short supply. This was also a period of great growth in the United States as the drive westward was in high gear.[3] Adventurous individuals were literally building new cities and they needed architects to help them realize their vision.

One such city was St. Joseph, Missouri. St. Joseph was a city full of people who had made fortunes from the community’s position as a transportation hub and a jumping off point for the westward expansion. It was on the cusp of moving from a small trading post to a major commercial center. It was a place that badly needed a man like E.J. Eckel.

He arrived in St. Joseph in 1869. Local legend states that he was on the train to Kansas City, but got off at St. Joseph due to a delay in scheduling. He walked around the streets of the growing city and decided to remain. Whatever the reason, Eckel did remain for the rest of his life and in a career that spanned six decades he made an indelible mark on St. Joseph.

E.J. Eckel’s first position in St. Joseph was as a draftsman with the firm of Stigers and Boettner. Lewis Stigers had come to prominence locally when he designed the Patee House hotel. It did not take long for Eckel’s abilities to be recognized and he became a partner in the firm in 1872, which became known as Boettner and Eckel.

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This was the first of several partnerships: From 1873-74 there was Eckel and Meier; 1875-1877 he practiced with Stigers, Boettner, and Company; from 1878-1880 it was Boettner and Eckel; one of the most famous of the partnerships, Eckel and Mann, existed intermittently from 1880-1885, 1887-1891, and 1903-1905; Eckel and Rosenplaenter (1891),[4] Eckel and Van Brunt in 1892 (notice of dissolution was published in August 1892)[5]; Eckel and Boschen from 1908 to 1910; and lastly, Eckel and Aldrich which existed from 1910 to 1959, its final years under the leadership of E.J.’s son George. Many of these partnerships were short-lived and some were contentious. In March 1896, Eckel filed suit in St. Louis against his partner George Mann alleging that Mann had not fulfilled his financial obligations to the firm.[6]

As St. Joseph grew in wealth and prestige, many of its businessmen commissioned extraordinarily ornate houses from Eckel. He showed himself to be capable of designing impressive structures in a variety of styles, able to give his clients the fashionable buildings that they desired. There are upwards of twenty-five structures associated with Eckel listed on the National Register.[7]

In 1879, local hardware manufacturer William Wyeth and his wife Eliza hired Eckel to design their new home at 11th and Charles on the top of the hill. The Wyeths had travelled in German and were impressed with the castles that they saw along the Rhine and they saw no reason that they could not have their own castle in Missouri. Eckel drew up the plans under the close supervision of Wyeth and what they created was a particularly Victorian version of a medieval castle.[8]

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The Wyeth Castle was only one of many impressive mansions and homes designed by Eckel. Among the most notable are the Geiger Mansion at 2501 Frederick, which echoes the feel of a crenellated castle. The Ogden Mansion[9] on Hall Street is a lavish example of the chateauesque style. The Josiah Moss House[10] at 906 Sylvanie was designed to evoke the feeling of the chateaus of the French Loire Valley.[11]

As with any architectural firm of the scale of Eckel’s, there were many men working in the office as draftsmen and the like. Most of these labored in relative obscurity; however, there was one who put his mark on some of the most important of the residences designed by Eckel and Mann. That man was the mysterious Harvey Ellis who was in St. Joseph from about 1888 to 1893. While working for Eckel and Mann, Ellis was given a great deal of artistic license, though it is important to remember that he was not an architect but rather an artist. He did not design the structures, but rather he added the artistic flourishes that made them unique. “In St. Joseph, Ellis found the time, place, and pocket books for the castles of his imagination.” Among the homes that Ellis contributed to were the Moss House, the McAlister House on 19th St., the Nave House at 2121 Clay, the McNeely Home on S. 11th and the Calvin Burnes Home at 301 S. 10th.  One other commission has the mark of Ellis – the Burnes Mausoleum at Mount Mora Cemetery. On this small scale structure, Ellis was apparently given free reign by the Eckel firm.[12]

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Much of the business, civic decision-making, and praying in St. Joseph took place within walls designed by Eckel and his firms. The staggeringly impressive German American Bank building and the Chamber of Commerce Building were both Eckel commissions.[13] In 1880, Eckel and Mann won the contract to build the new Union Depot by proposing an English domestic gothic structure 400 feet by 50 feet in size.[14] In 1883, the Gazette-Herald crowed about the completion of its new building, which it described as “The most imposing newspaper office in the west.” The paper said of the architects, “Messrs. Eckel & Mann have inscribed their name upon every rare piece of architectural skill in the West, and everybody knows that they stand to-day without a rival in their special field of labor.”[15] The civic architecture of St. Joseph is largely Eckel: he was responsible for the Iris-American Hall,[16] Livestock Exchange (1899), the Public Library (1900),[17] and City Hall (1927). The City Council announced the selection of Eckel and Aldrich to design the new City Hall in 1924. The St. Joseph Observer applauded the choice, writing, “The Council awarded the architectural contract to Eckel & Aldrich, a St. Joseph firm which stands high as the best all over the country, and by so doing that body set an example of standing up for St. Joseph, which should be followed by all people who live here.”[18] In 1900, Eckel was asked to draw up plans for a new clubhouse at the Lotus Club on Lake Contrary.[19] Among the impressive churches designed by Eckel’s firms are: St. Francis Xavier, First Presbyterian, Christ Episcopal, and the Sacred Heart Convent.

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As important and impressive as the mansions and civic buildings are, it is important to remember that Eckel was a working architect who had a family and firm to support. He did not restrict himself to building on a grand and glorious scale. Much of his practice was far more prosaic. He designed a large number of commercial buildings. At the turn of the century, Eckel became the official architect for the St. Joseph School District. In that capacity he designed Washington School as well as others. In 1900 and 1901, when the School District put out calls for bids for building projects, prospective bidders were instructed to go to Eckel’s offices at 6th and Edmond to see the plans and specifications.[20] His relationship with the school board was not all together smooth. On Oct. 16, 1896, The St. Joseph Herald reported “The bill of E.J. Eckel, architect, for $155.41 on account of work done on the Robidoux school building, payment of which has been withheld because of alleged mistakes made by Mr. Eckel in the plans for the High school building, came before the board by a report from the committee to which it had been referred. The committee reported that it had been advised by counsel that payment of this bill could not be legally withheld, and it will accordingly be paid.”[21]

In 1900 the city government engaged Eckel as a consultant in response to a demand by a grand jury that the fire escapes on buildings in the business section of the city be inspected. Eckel designed a fire escape that met the requirements of safety and the law.[22]

Though Eckel looms large in the architectural history of St. Joseph, he certainly was not the only architect working in the city. Most of the bids for the important public buildings were competitive. In June 1884 The Gazette-Herald reported, “There was a lively competition yesterday between the architect firms of Smales & Boetler, W. Angelo Powell, and Eckel & Mann, for the furnishing of the plans for the new chapel to be erected by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart convent. Messrs. Eckel & Mann were the successful competitors, and are correspondingly happy.”[23] There were seven bids to design the Public Library in 1900, and one of those bidders, Charles Bremer, accused Eckel of dirty dealings in the bid process by not making the bid specifications available in a timely manner.[24]

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Ecekl put down roots in St. Joseph, creating a family and taking part in civic life. On November 25, 1875 he married Wilhelmina (Minnie) Schroers.[25] He became a naturalized citizen. In 1920, his 80-year-old single sister Albertine was living with the family.[26] Eckel was a prominent figure in St. Joseph society. Over the years he was a member of the Elks, the Chamber of Commerce, the Benton Club, the St. Joseph Country Club, the Odd Fellows, and the Scottish Rite.[27] His family also socialized with the upper echelons of St. Joseph society. His wife hosted card parties.[28] In June 1898, his daughter Elvira gave a coaching party followed by punch and dancing at the Eckel home. The names of the young women who attended come from the most exalted families in the city.[29] His daughter Minnie’s engagement to David Agnew was announced in March 1902.[30] Elvira (Elva) married Robert Forgrave in 1907.[31] His son George played quarterback for the St. Joseph High School football team.[32] George followed his father into the family business and took over the firm after Edmond’s death.

Eckel had several homes during his career in St. Joseph. In 1907 the family home was at 515 N. 4th St. In the 1910 census, the family is listed as lodgers in a boarding house at 611 N. 7th St. run by Bettie Anderson.[33] At the time of his death he was living at 1324 N. 25th St. Unfortunately, none of these remain standing.

Though his practice was focused in St. Joseph, the firm did do work outside of the city. Perhaps the most notable was the St. Louis City Hall.[34] Eckel designed structures appeared in Kansas, Iowa,[35] Texas, and Pennsylvania.[36] In 1926, Eckel & Aldrich won the contract to design the $2,000,000 Los Angeles plant for the National Biscuit Co. George Eckel oversaw that project on the west coast.[37] Eckel & Aldrich’s work on the St. Joseph City Hall was so well thought of nationally that the firm was the only Missouri firm invited to bid for the design of the Milwaukee County courthouse.[38]

According to the Catalogue Raisonne in Toni Prawl’s dissertation, Eckel was responsible for the design of approximately 200 buildings in St. Joseph (this number does not include the large number of structures that he altered or added on to, nor does it include the mausoleums that he built at Mount Mora Cemetery).

He remained active in the city and with his practice until his death on Dec. 12, 1934. His death certificate states that he died of heart disease. He is buried at Mount Mora Cemetery; somewhat ironically given that he designed some of the most impressive mausoleums there, his own grave is quite modest. The identity of St. Joseph, MO was forged largely on Eckel’s drawing table. It is unusual to find a city that is as defined by one architect as is St. Joseph. One is reminded of Sir Christopher Wren’s epitaph: “If you would seek my monument, look around you.”

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[1] Toni Prawl, “Eckel, Edmond Jacques (1845-1934)” in Dictionary of Missouri Biography, 272-273.

[2] Toni Prawl, “Eckel, Edmond Jacques (1845-1934)” in Dictionary of Missouri Biography, 272-273

[3] Toni Prawl, “Eckel, Edmond Jacques (1845-1934)” in Dictionary of Missouri Biography, 272-273

[4] “Dissolution Notice,” St. Joseph Herald, Dec. 26, 1891, pg. 2. This lesser known partnership won the bid to design the Irish-American building in 1891. “The Irish-Americans,” The Catholic Tribune, Oct. 17, 1891, pg. 5.

[5] “Dissolution Notice,” St. Joseph Herald Aug. 23, 1892, pg. 5.

[6] “Eckel Sues Mann,” The St. Joseph Weekly Gazette, March 27, 1896, pg. 7.

[7] Toni Prawl, “Eckel, Edmond Jacques (1845-1934)” in Dictionary of Missouri Biography, 272-273

[8] Jacqueline Clark Lewin and Bonnie McDonald Watkins, Castle on the Hill: The Wyeth-Tootle Mansion (St. Joseph, MO: The St. Joseph Museums, Inc., 2014), 3.

[9] Known as the Shakespeare Chateau.

[10] Now Barbosa’s Mexican Castillo.

[11] Toni Prawl, “E.J. Eckel (1845-1934): The Education of a Beaux-Arts Architect and His Practice in Missouri,” unpublished PhD Dissertation, University of Missouri, Columbia, 1994, pg. 245.

[12] Toni Prawl, “E.J. Eckel (1845-1934): The Education of a Beaux-Arts Architect and His Practice in Missouri,” unpublished PhD Dissertation, University of Missouri, Columbia, 1994, ppg. 207, 221, 227, 248049.

[13] The St. Joseph Gazette-Herald carried an extensive story describing the proposed building: It was to cost $60,000, would have four stories and a basement and the front on Edmond Street was to be 135 long. “It will be constructed of brick, heavily trimmed with stone, galvanized iron cornices, terra cotta panels and ornaments, the whole adorned with a mansard roof, covered with slate. On the northeast corner of the building, over the main entrance to the board of trade room, will be a handsome tower, with a dial for a clock.” “The New Chamber of Commerce Building,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, July 2, 1884, pg. 4.

[14] “Progress,” The St. Joseph Weekly Gazette, Jan. 1, 1881, pg. 1.

[15] “At Home in Our Brand New Building,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, May 6, 1883, pg. 3.

[16] “Irish-American Hall Building,” St. Joseph Herald, Jan. 3, 1892, pg. 8.

[17] The construction of the Library ran in to some delays at the end of 1900 when contractors were unable to provide a sufficient quantity of steel beams for the first story floor. “Explain the Long Delay,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, Jan. 19, 1901, pg. 3. Eckel’s fee for this project was $2,700 (3% of the cost of the building). “School Board Allows Some Library Bills: Archictect Eckel’s Fee Was $2,700 – Strengthening the Foundations,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, March 18, 1902, pg. 3.

Eckel also designed the Carnegie Library in South St. Joseph in 1901. The building was budgeted to cost $25,000 and Eckel was to receive 3% as his fee. “Architect Has Been Selected,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, June 28, 1901, pg. 3; “New Carnegie Library Plans,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, Aug. 1, 1901, pg. 3.

[18] “The Way to Stand Up for St. Joseph is to Stand Up And That Was Done When the City Hall Contract was Made,” St. Joseph Observer, Aug. 29, 1924, pg. 3.

[19] “New Louts Club House,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, Oct. 11, 1900, pg. 5.

[20] For example: “Notice to Plumbing Contractors,” The St. Joseph Herald, June 23, 1900, pg. 7; “Notice to Heating and Plumbing Contractors,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, June 3, 1901, pg. 5.

[21] “Petition Granted,” St. Joseph Herald, Oct. 16, 1896, pg. 3.

[22] “Submit Plan of Legal Fire Escape,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, March 23, 1901, pg. 3.

[23] St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, June 5, 1884, pg. 5.

[24] “Library Contract,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, Sept. 2, 1900, pg. 2.

[25] She was the daughter of George and Ann Schroers, both of whom emigrated from Germany. George worked as a blacksmith and in addition to Wilhelmina, they had a son Edward. Information from the 1870 census available on Ancestry.com

[26] Information from the 1920 Federal Census, available through ancestry.com.

[27] Toni Prawl, “Eckel, Edmond Jacques (1845-1934)” in Dictionary of Missouri Biography, 272-273

[28] “Mrs. E.J. Eckel’s Evening,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, March 26, 1899, pg. 9.

[29] “Miss Elvira Eckel’s Evening,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, June 26, 1898, pg. 6. The newspapers of the day frequently carried articles about the societal goings-on of the prominent citizens of the City and the Eckels were often mentioned, eg. “A Sleighing Party,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, Feb. 18, 1900, pg. 9. In August 1897 the Eckels (both parents and children) were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Krug, Jr. at a gathering where “[t]he party spent the early part of the evening on the veranda taking kodak pictures, after which a fish supper was much enjoyed. A row on the lake and dancing completed the evening’s pleasure.” The St. Joseph Herald, Aug. 15, 1897, pg. 13. An interesting mention: “A camping party at Lake Contrary one mile north of the Budweiser house consists of Mr. and Mrs. T.R. Mann, Misses Annie Owen, Elva Eckel, Minnie Eckel, and Messrs. George and Edward Eckel.” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, July 2, 1899, pg. 11.

[30] “Agnew-Eckel,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, March 9, 1902, pg. 11.

[31] “In Dame Fashion’s Pleasant Bower,” The St. Joseph Observer, May 11, 1907, pg. 3.

[32] “High School Loses,” St. Joseph Herald, Oct. 22, 1899, pg. 5. “High School Defeated,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, Nov. 12, 1899, pg. 5.

[33] 1910 Federal Census, available through ancestry.com.

[34] “Eckel & Mann have been awarded the contract for getting up the plans for the St. Louis city building.” St. Joseph Herald, Feb. 15, 1890, pg. 1.

[35] In March 1885, Eckel & Mann won the contract to build an $180,000 court house in Council Bluffs. “St. Joseph Ahead Again,” St. Joseph Gazette-Herald, March 12, 1885, pg. 5.

[36] Toni Prawl, “Eckel, Edmond Jacques (1845-1934)” in Dictionary of Missouri Biography, 272-273

[37] “St. Joseph Talent Scores at Los Angeles: The World-Wide Known Firm of Eckel & Aldrich constructs a Mammoth Plant,” St. Joseph Observer, Aug. 6, 1926, pg. 6; “George Eckel Returns from California,” St. Joseph Observer, May 8, 1925, pg. 1.

[38] “Honor Accorded A St. Joseph Firm: Eckel & Aldrich Asked to Submit Plans for Six Million Dollar Structure,” The St. Joseph Observer, Feb. 24, 1927, pg. 1.

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Following the Paper Trail: The History of a St. Joseph Congregation and Its Connection to E.J. Eckel

Blog by Carol Almanza

[Article reprinted with permission from Making Preservation Happen, published by the Heritage Action Campaign]

E.J Eckel – this is the name that appeared at the top of the letterhead my friend, Joan Peterson, and I found while researching our church’s history for its recently celebrated 125th anniversary. It was a receipt dated November 30, 1900 to the first Evangelical Lutheran St. Paul Church for $200.00. Eckel’s fee for the design was three-and-a-half percent of the $10,858 cost of building the church. He was paid in cash and a balance of $179.85 was owed to him. Until finding this receipt, the name of the architect had been lost in the [mist] of time. Although we had known that his firm designed an addition in 1949, the house of worship, located on the southeast corner of 14th and Lafayette Streets, does not appear on any of the lists of Eckel’s work. We had uncovered an important part of St. Joseph’s architectural history. And to understand what led to this event, we need to go back further in time.

In 1852 Lutherans of German descent had tried to start a church, meeting in homes of those dedicated to this cause. They called upon a pastor, Reverend W. Metz, who remained in St. Joseph only two years. After his departure, the believers were served by area pastors, the Rev. W. Zschoche of Atchison, KS., the Rev. M. Meyer of Leavenworth, KS., and Rev. C. Scholz of Coming, MO. encouraged by Pastor Zschoche and the Concordia Seminary faculty in St. Louis, a congregation was again formed and adopted and signed the old constitution on March 27, 1881. The signers were H.W. Kierking, John D.H. Schmidt, H. Meyer, Frederick W. Schmidt, E.H.W. Baden, Fred Kueker, Henry Kueker, and Henry Jaeger. A call was issued to Rev. Moritz Grosse, a recent graduate of Concordia Seminary, in June of 1881. Pastor Grosse accepted and was installed on August 21, 1881. He would shepherd this church for twenty-five years.

A lot at 1019 South Tenth Street was purchased in September of 1881 and on December 17, 1881 the St. Joseph Herald announced “the first and only German Evangelical Luthern [sic] church in this city will be dedicated.” There would be a German sermon in the afternoon and an English one in the evening. The article does not say, however, whether the morning sermon was in German or English. The public was “most respectfully” invited to attend. This house of worship was a frame building. Later, a brick parsonage, which still stands at the back of the lot, was built directly behind the church. What stories could these buildings tell? Sadly, after serving as apartments and for commercial use for many years, the original frame church was razed in the 1950’s.

By 1899, the congregation was growing too large for its small frame church. On February 4, 1900, it resolved to build a new house of worship. The June 29, 1900 edition of the St. Joseph Daily News announced that Superintendent Forgrave had issued a permit (at no charge) to the German Lutherans of St. joseph to build a new church at 14th and Lafayette Streets. Built of pressed brick, with cut stone trimmings, it would be “constructed after the latest architectural models.” However, no mention was made in the article about who would supply those architectural designs. The News was also of the opinion that the church would be “an ornament to that portion of the city as well as a splendidly equipped and beautiful home for the enterprising congregation by which it is erected.” Frank S. Smith was the builder of the church. Along with the Eckel receipt was one from Mr. Smith for $2,458.00, the balance due on the building contract of $10,658. L.F. Gerding, church treasurer, had paid the building costs in full prior to the dedication. Edmond J Eckel’s ecclesial designed church was dedicated in November of 1900.

A third historical find was an agreement signed October 1, 1900, to purchase an organ from George Kilgen & Son of St. Louis, MO for $900.00. Signed by Ida Gerding, President of the Young Ladies Society, and Charles Ehlers, President of the Young Men’s Society, it was to be “complete and ready for use at as early date as possible consisting with first-class work.” the Kilgen organ was fully paid for on December 8, 1900.

After worshipping at 14th and Lafayette for sixty-eight years the growth of the congregation warranted larger facilities. In 1965, members began working toward that goal. Their new and current location would be 4715 Frederick Avenue. Donald R. Hollis, Senior Partner of Hillis & Miller, Architects and Engineers, in his message to the congregation on dedication day stated he felt the new building emphasized contemporary design in church architecture. He felt that his design showed the importance of Christian worship in the location and height of the sanctuary, that the high clerestory windows let the light of the Heavens shine in, and that the tall bell tower crowned with a cross symbolized that it was the House of God. Dedication Day was October 13, 1968. Pastor Robert Kunz, who served the congregation from 1965 to 1986, officiated that October day. In fact, St. Paul Lutheran congregation continues to worship at this location under the guidance of Rev. Terry Weinhold, its pastor since 1986. In 1994, a daycare and multipurpose building were dedicated and in 1995, St. Paul Lutheran School with includes preschool through eight grade, was begun.

The 14th and Lafayette Eckel-designed church continues to serve as a house of worship today for Holsey Chapel. Furthermore, it serves as an architectural monument as well as a testament to the talent of E.J. Eckel.