2246 Shenandoah Ave
Built: 1863
Style: Mid 19th century vernacular
Neighborhood: McKinley Heights
City Block: 1400
On 1875 Compton and Dry Map: yes
On 1883 Hopkins Atlas: yes
Historical significance: This house was built in 1863 in the DeVolsey Addition of McKinley Heights. This area was laid out in the 1830s when Gravois Road was still in a rural area. It was first developed around 1848 by Joseph Charless Jr, whose father had founded the first newspaper in St. Louis, the Missouri Gazette. The area didn’t start to develop until the late 1850s, especially after the Charless School was built in 1859. When this house was built in 1863, the area was still on the edge of the city’s developed area. It was one of the small developments along Gravois Road, one of the main roads out of the city at the time. In 1873, John Frederick Brune, a teamster, was first listed as living at the house. He immigrated to St. Louis from Germany in 1857, and fought in the Civil War for the Union Army. He lived in the house with his family for 37 years, until his death in 1910. His sons, August, John Frederick Jr., Louis, and William also lived at the house with him, and August was still living here until 1913. The house was also home to Henry and Louisa Olliges from the early 1890s to the 1910s. Henry was a laborer and Louisa was a cook. By this time, McKinley Heights had gone from being a rural area with mostly brick yards to an urban neighborhood tucked between two of the city’s major thoroughfares. Today, this house is just one of several buildings that survive in the area from the mid 19th century.
Architectural significance: This house was built in the mid 19th century vernacular style in 1863, and was built with a two story side entry, not commonly seen on buildings in St. Louis. The building was a multi family residence, and has units in the front and back. This relatively early building is architecturally significant due to its unique layout compared to most buildings built in the area around this time.
