City: St. Louis, MO

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (314) 771-5828

Address: 3352 DeMenil Place

Description: This Greek Revival mansion was built in two sections by families with very different lifestyles. Henri Chatillon, a hunter and guide for the American Fur Company, built a four-room brick structure in 1848. He sold the “farmhouse” in 1856 to Dr. Nicolas N. DeMenil, a distinguished physician and wealthy Frenchman who came to St. Louis in 1834 and married Emile Sophie Chouteau, a descendant of St. Louis’s founding family. In 1861 the DeMenils added the Greek Revival façade and extra rooms that form the principal part of the mansion. The ceiling medallions, marble mantelpieces, plaster decorative elements, hall chandelier, and parquet floor are original to the house, while most of the furniture is dated from 1830 to 1880. The house also features a collection of more than 1,200 items from the 1904 World’s Fair. It is one of the largest exhibits of its kind in the country. There is an on-site restaurant that is open for lunch. Open Tuesday through Saturday.