On the Old Meeting House

In 1975, under the leadership of Rev. Robert W. Tabscott, members of Des Peres Presbyterian Church formed the Old Des Peres Church Restoration Committee. Chaired by Jean Neunreiter, who is still a member of Faith Des Peres Church, this committee undertook the task of restoring the old stone church to its original condition.

In late December, 1977, nomination documents were submitted to the National Register of Historic Places for inclusion of the church in the registry. These forms were prepared by Noelle Soren, Architectural Historian for the Office of Historic Preservation in Jefferson City. The church was officially listed in April, 1978.

The following information, describing the church, is taken from those nomination documents. This information was submitted in response to item 7, which asked for a full description of the present and original (if known) physical appearance of the church and item 8, which asked the significance of the structure. Changes to the structure since the forms were submitted are noted in brackets. Photos of the architectural details contained in the description may be found at www.faithdesperes.org/OMH.

7. Description

The Old Des Peres Church (Old Stone Church) is a rectangular, one-story stone meeting house with a partially dug-out basement.

EXTERIOR

Over-all dimensions

The church is 25’ 4” long on the east and west facades and 40’6” long on the north and south facades. The roof rises 20’6” above ground level at its ridge.

Wall Construction

The Walls of the Old Des Peres Church are of coursed rubble which is composed of native (1) limestone secured in concrete. The cornerstones are more rectangular in shape and are generally larger than the stone blocks of the main wall mass.

Openings

Windows. There are no windows at the level of the partial basement. There are, however, four rectangular foundation openings, two on each of the north and south facades, which were left between the foundation blocks during construction.

The first story windows are six-over-six light, double hung sash and are located on the north and south facades, four to each wall. Each window has a wooden lug sill and is topped by a flat arch with radiating voussoirs of wedge-shaped cut stones. In addition, each is flanked by a pair of shutters, painted black [Added note: currently green], of unknown date. These windows and shutters are currently operable.

Doorways & Doors. The only entrance into the church is at the first story level on the east façade. This entranceway is recessed 21 inches from the outer wall surface. It features a four-light transom, plain wooden reveals, painted white, with an ovolo molding surrounding its entire outer edge. The double doors, which are separated from the transom by another ovolo molding, are composed of two wooden leaves, painted white [Added note: currently red], with four vertical rectangular recessed panels, two above and two below, in each leaf. These doors have been restored, and they are thought to be original (2).

The doorway is topped by a flat arch with radiating vousoirs cut into wedge shapes, a similar arrangement to that over each of the windows. Access to this entrance is over a rough poured concrete slab which appears to be of the same composition as that used to construct the walls. The only entrance to the basement is through a trap door which measures 2 ‘ X 3 ‘ and is located at the foot of the chimney along the interior south wall at the west end of the church.

Chimney

A single plain red brick chimney is located 12’6’ from the west end of the church on its south wall. It projects into the sanctuary about 1’ and is approximately 2’ in width.

Roof.

A gable roof covers the church. It is edged by a plain wooden box cornice, painted white, which forms broad eaves at the east and west ends. The original wooden shingles have been replaced by cedar shake shingles.

Decorative Features

These include the flat, slightly radiating arches over the doorway and all the windows, the plain wooden box cornice, and the ovolo moldings in the entrance-way all of which have been previously mentioned.

INTERIOR

Basement.

There is no true basement, but only a pit which is dug out of the earth under the center of the church and runs its full length. There are no walls or flooring in this area. Stone piers which support the first floor are located here and appear to be original (3). The foundation is of coursed limestone rubble of the same type used in the construction of the remainder of the church. At an unknown date, a small propane fired furnace was installed here and equipped with a single vent though the floor in the center of the sanctuary (4). [Added note: the southwest corner of the foundation was determined to be sinking in 2006. A steel pier now supports that corner.}

First Floor.

Access to the first floor sanctuary is directly through the entrance in the east façade. This area occupies the entire first floor of the structure. A recently acquired wood stove sits in front of the chimney against the south wall [Added note: heating and air conditioning renovations in 1993 replaced this stove.] The central west end of the church is occupied by a podium 2’ in height. There is no pulpit.

The lower walls of the sanctuary are covered by vertically placed tongue and groove wainscoting to a height of 0’ 32”. Each panel is 4’ in width. This zone is topped by a decorative molding formed by a broad fillet, a smaller recessed fillet, a scotia, and a still smaller fillet in succession from top to bottom. Above the molding and continuing to the ceiling the walls are composed of plaster, painted white (5). The ceiling is barrel vaulted and covered with wooden tongue and groove boards painted white which are placed on the east-west axis and run the length of the sanctuary. Each of these boards is 3” in width.

The floor is composed of tongue and groove oak planks resting on hand hewn oak joists.

ALTERATIONS

Old Des Peres Church exists in a condition close of the original. The exceptions which have already been noted are the addition of a furnace vent in the floor of the sanctuary, the repainting and refurnishing of the interior, the refinishing of the exterior wood trim, and the installation of a new cedar shake roof. In addition, a lighting fixture has been added which hangs from the apex of the vaulted ceiling at the west end of the church (6). It should also be noted that in May, 1874, the ceiling and roof of the church, which were supported by heavy timbers, fell in, wrecking much of the building but sparing the walls. The structure was soon completely repaired (7). As a consequence, the present barrel vault may not reproduce the original appearance of the ceiling.

SITE

Old Des Peres Church (Old Stone Church), Frontenac, Missouri is located on the east side of Geyer Road, approximately one (1) mile south of Clayton Road. It faces eastward toward a cemetery on the eastern half of the property. Three large oak trees dominate the area immediately south of the church. A line of trees and shrubs encloses the north, east and south sides of the cemetery. West of the church and across Geyer Road is an area which was formerly used for tying horses during church services and, later, as a parking lot. It is over-grown with shrubs and trees at the present time. Today, the church is bordered on all sides by an upper middle class residential area. About 100’ directly south of the church a small modern shed has been built.

CONDITION

Old Des Peres Church is in sound condition. It is noteworthy that none of the exterior walls or flat arches have sagged or buckled to any apparent degree (8). The joists which support the floor planks and which rest on the stone foundation piers are the originals of hand hewn oak and remain sound (9). As already mentioned, the roof and the wooden trim on the exterior of the church have been repainted and restored to very near their original condition. In addition, wooden pews, painted ochre, have recently been obtained from Linn, Missouri and have been installed in the sanctuary. They are believed to be similar in form to the originals (11).

PRESENT STATUS

The current status of Des Peres Presbyterian Church is threatened by the proposed widening of Geyer Road, which runs by the northwest corner of the church. The congregation has instigated a law suit with the City of Frontenac, Union Electric Company and Southwestern Bell Telephone Company to protect the property and to collect damages already incurred (12).

FOOTNOTES

1. This is the assumption of Mr. H.L. Harwood whose family joined the church as early as 1870. Mr. Harwood subscribes to the tradition that the rock was quarried at the nearby Des Peres Quarry on Manchester Road (Highway 100).

2. These doors can be seen on photos of the church as early as the 1930’s. They were damaged in the 1950’s or 1960’s by vandals. They were removed, restored and reinstalled in 1976.

3. Data excerpted from National Register Inventory-Nomination Form prepared by Mrs. Robert L. Neunreiter, Des Peres Restoration Committee, March 1, 1976.

4. Mrs. Robert L. Neunreiter, personal interview with Noelle Soren, December 15, 1977.

5. Ibid. The paint is new. Up to 15 layers of old paint were removed during this restoration.

6. This was installed between 1955 and 1965. According to Minutes of the Session: Des Peres Presbyterian Church, January, 1955-October, 1965, no publisher.

7. A Short History of Des Peres Church circular prepared by church staff, 1972, p. 2.

8. William Bodley Lane, AIA, personal interview with Mrs. Robert L. Neunreiter, February 15, 1975.

9. Data excerpted from national Register Inventory-Nomination Form prepared by Mrs. Robert L. Neunreiter, Chairman Des Peres Restoration Committee, March 1, 1976.

10. Mrs. Robert L. Neunreiter, personal interview with Noelle Soren, December 15, 1977. This restoration concerned only the wood trim. It is now painted white, but this does not represent its original condition. The trim was originally stained with a solution made of pulverized brick dissolved in a solvent. This fact was discovered when the trim was stripped.

11. Ibid. This is according to Mr. Sam Vouga, Vouga Lane, Frontenac, Missouri 63131.

12. Mrs. Robert l Neunreiter, telephone conversations with Noelle Soren, December 26, 1977.

8. Significance

Statement of Significance

The Des Peres Presbyterian Church, Frontenac, Missouri, is significant as an early stone meeting house of solid and lasting construction, as as the location of the pulpit from which Elijah parish Lovejoy, the well-know abolitionist minister, preached during his stay in the St. Louis area from 1834 to 1837.

The Des Peres Presbyterian Church, which was constructed in 1834 (1), is noteworthy as a pioneer church because it is the oldest stone Protestant church building to survive in the state (2). It features plain utilitarian design and lasting construction of native limestone. It is one of the few early churches in Missouri which utilized native stone, since most of these structures are of brick or frame construction (3). In addition its incorporation of flat arches of cut stone voussoirs to insure structural strength above the doors and windows is unusual in the stone church architecture of Missouri. Solid stone lintels are usually used (4).

History of the Church

Des Peres Presbyterian Church was organized in the latter part of March, 1833, by Reverend William S. Potts and others in the nearby home of a Methodist minister which was rented for the occasion (5). Rev. Potts had come to St. Louis from Philadelphia in 1828 to be pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in St. Louis. It was at his suggestion that a colony which was later to be called Des Peres Presbyterian Church be established to serve members of the First Presbyterian Church who resided “in the county.” (6) In 1834, three acres of land were donated, one acre each by David Small, David Hatshorn and Stephen Maddox, for the site of the church and graveyard (7). The actual construction of the building was begun and virtually completed that same year (8).

One of the first ministers sent to Des Peres by the American Home Missionary Society in New York was Elijah Parish Lovejoy, a protégé of Reverend William Potts (9). This well-known abolitionist also served as editor of the St. Louis Observer, which was basically a religious newspaper organized by a group of St. Louis businessmen (10).

…During the Civil War, Des Peres church was as philosophically divided as the State of Missouri. Many of its members were slaveholders while others supported abolition. Tradition holds that the Old Church was used as one of the stations on the underground railroad during the war, thought there is no historical documentation to confirm or deny this claim (13). It is historically confirmed, however, that a portion of the cemetery to the East of the church was reserved for the burial of slaves, though its exact location is unknown (14).

…Old Des Peres Presbyterian Church and cemetery were used regularly until the mid 1950’s. At that time, a new building, the new Des Peres Presbyterian Church, was erected at the intersection of Clayton and Geyer Roads. The use of the old church was suspended in June of 1956. On June 3, 1975, the Old Des Peres Church Restoration Committee was awarded $750.00 in matching funds by Bird and Son, Inc. of East Walpole, Mass. As part of its Historic Grant Program…. The money was used to replace the roof of the church. Recently, since its restoration, the building has become a nonsectarian chapel and has been used for weddings….

FOOTNOTES

1. Elijah P. Lovejoy, letter to American Home Missionary Society. November 21, 1834. In this letter Lovejoy states that construction has been underway for some time. See also “A Short History of Des Peres Church,” taken from Church records, March 2, 1871.

2. This statement is based on a survey of the Protestant Churches found in The Missouri Historical Site Catalogue. In addition, out of 121 Protestant churches in the catalogue, Des Peres is the 3^rd oldest of any construction. The older churches are the McKendree Log Chapel, Cape Girardeau County (1819) and the Palmyra Methodist Church, Marion County (1831), which is of brick construction. See Dorothy J. Caldwell, Missouri Historical Sites Catalogue (Columbia: State Historical Society of Missouri 1963), p. 163, 23 and 105.

3. This statement is based on a survey of the churches found in Dorothy Caldwell, ed., The Missouri Historical Sites Catalogue (Columbia: State Historical Society of Missouri, 1964) pp. 1-195.

4. Data excerpted from National Register Inventory-Nomination Form prepared by Mrs. Robert L. Neunreiter, Chairman, Old Des Peres Restoration Committee, March 1, 1976.

5. Facts concerning the primary history of the church are taken from “A Short History of Des Peres Church”, taken from church records, March 2, 1871 and A Short History of Des Peres Church, circular prepared by the church staff, 1972.

6. Rev. Robert P. Farris, “Protestantism in the West,” The Herald and Presbyter, May 14, 1902, pp. 12-13.

7. At present, the church can account for only two acres of land (See Section 10- Verbal Boundary Description). The location of the third acre and the reasons for its loss are unknown. Reverend Tabscott, the present pastor, assumes that some of the church’s land was unlawfully assimilated into the residential building sites which surround the church today. From Rev. Robert Tabscott, personal interview with Noelle Soren, December 15, 1977.

8. see Supra, Section 8, n. 1.

9. Rev. A.J. Norton & Rev. H.H. Kellogg (eds.), Presbyterian Reporter, Vol. 6 (Chicago: 1900 p. 4.

10. Paul Simon, Lovejoy, Martyr to Freedom (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1964), p. 31.

13. Mrs. Robert L. Neunreiter, personal interview with Noelle Soren, December 15, 1977. Many older members take this tradition as fact. Principal aiming these is Mr. Sam Vouga, Vouga Lane, Frontenac, Missouri 63131.

14. Data excerpted from national Register Inventory-Nomination Form, prepared by Mrs. Robert L. Neunreiter, Chairman, Old Des Peres Restoration Committee, March 1, 1976.

Note: A plot plan of the Old Meeting House appears below.

The USGS map of the “Kirkwood Quadrangle” (1954) locates the Old Meeting House at

38° 37 ' 18" North Latitude and 90° 25' 16" West Longitude

This page was last updated May 17, 2006

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