Cleveland High School - Beacon Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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Z8 QlfLI tA0lfL58 Mount Vernon takes pride in being the home of George Washington, as does Philadel- phia in its Independence Hall. St. Louis can take justifiable pride in the old Courthouse. Rich in history, crowned with dignity and distinction, the Courthouse has been the nucleus of St. Louis' political and judicial life for many a day. In July, 1840, Sergeant S. Prentiss, a noted orator of that period, held an audience of five thousand spellbound for three or more hours. In November, 1846, the renowned Dred Scott case was tried. This case, as you probably know, was one of the most instrumental factors in the rise of sympathy for slave emancipation. In this same year, 1846, a group of volunteer soldiers assembled to contribute their aid toward defeating Mexico in the Mexi- can War. Again, 1846 proves to be an eventful year in that the honorable Henry Clay conducted a land sale at the east front door, on what is now the Fourth Street side. One thousand delegates, representing fourteen states, assembled at the National Railroad Con- vention, which met in the Old Courthouse in 1849 when the distinguished and respected Stephen A. Douglas was elected Chairman. In 1859 Ulysses S. Grant, not yet a military celebrity but a budding engineer, freed his only slave in this very building, and here, too, he mhde formal application for the office of County Engineer. The Courthouse is laid after the plan of a Greek cross. That is, there are four wings or entrances which meet in a common center, the rotunda. The building proper is two and one-half stories high with a basement and is of heavy stone construction, the outer walls being two feet thick. Two Greek porticos, constituting the east and west entrances, are supported by six massive stone columns. The elaborate Huting in these columns, typi- cally Ionic, lends a very impressive appearance. The north portico, of similar pattern, is supported by four columns. The main dome, consisting of a heavy wood framework covered with cast iron sheeting, rises one hundred and fifty feet above the street level. A smaller dome, superimposed thereon, rises to a height of one hundred and eighty-five feet. It is interesting to note that the dome of the capitol building in Washington, D. C., is pat- terned after the Courthouse dome. There are evidences within the building of once fine woodwork, as can be seen on the stairway in the rotunda. The murals of Western History painted within the dome by Carl Wimar still show through the dust of years. If the Courthouse were given the power of speech, what tales it could relate! For there, not so long ago, as the span of time is measured, stood a shipment of slavcs, bought and sold as so much merchandise. Over there President Cleveland reigned as host, amia- bly and hospitably greeting the guests to his reception. How easily one can visualize a steamer docking at the levee, and the stevedores and finely clad merchants crowding about to unload the cargo and to exchange bids. Horse cars, wagons, surreys, busily moving from place to place! And a traffic jam at Broadway and Market caused by a horse shying at one of those new fangled horseless carriages ! RICHARD BROMLEY 17 Phologrsph by Piaget Studios

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jle L-Zbe Weld! ,!4l!0owe The DeMenil house portrays well the beauty of old St. Louis. Its history is a typical one of the many histories that combine to make delightful the memories of our city. Dr. Nicholas DeMeni1, for whom the mansion is named, was a lieutenant in the French army. Drawn by the magnetic attraction of this infant country, Dr. DeMenil came to visit in America in 1835. At that time he had not the slightest intention of making this his home. The grace and charm of St. Louis, Where he arrived in 1836, and of its women, Emily Sophie Chouteau in particular, was suflicient to convince him that this was the place for him. In 1838 he married Miss Chouteau. This, of course, made expedient the procuring of a home. Dr. Nicholas DeMenil, father of the late Alexander DeMenil, purchased with this purpose in mind, a farm between St. Louis and Carondelet. It must be remembered that in those days, St. Louis and Carondelet were two separate communities. Here was erected a stately house, the finest example of the contemporary taste in French domestic archi- tecture that can be seen in St. Louis. Can you picture the gay parties that took place in this mansion in pre-war days? Men in powdered wigs, and women in hoop skirts courtsied and danced the minuet and quad- rille. Lovely mirrors reflected the splendor of the guests and the furnishings for the French people were a hospitable, fun-loving people. The house is of gray brick and has two stories. It contains nine rooms in which are preserved many line pieces of furniture, representative of the era. The front, which later became the rear, is of an ornamental Doric-Ionic design. An addition was built in 1863 consisting of a two story porch supported by four Ionic columns. The grounds about the house are spacious and beautifully adorned with many stately trees and appropriate shrub- bery-a lit setting for such a truly line home. S The whole place is well situated, overlooking the Mississippi. The main entrance faces the majestic Father of Waters. The grounds are enclosed by a wrought iron fence of intri- cate design, which is one of the finest examples of its type in the Mid-West. Today this abode is well preserved in its spacious grounds at 3352 South Thirteenth Street. The picture is that of the rear of the house. GLENN MERRITT 19 Photograph by Piaget Siudios