August 11, 2002
House of the Month
Steins Row

By Jo Ann Vatcha
Community Development Administration

Carondelet, St. Louis' oldest community on the banks of the Mississippi, is the setting for today's feature, the remarkable transformation of "Steins Row." Developer Mike Curran and the architect, The Sutton Studio, Inc., have taken seven units of mid-1800's working-class housing off the State's list of 10 Most Endangered Historic Buildings, redesigning the space into three unique homes. Throughout the homes are rare materials and construction details: newel posts, stair detailing, and cabinetry, all reclaimed from the buildings' own old-growth wood. If these walls could talk, we might hear of the Underground Railroad and learn of the building's use as a Civil War hospital. Now they have new life and take their place among St. Louis' most interesting homes.

Steins Row is open for you to experience Sunday, August 11, 2002, from Noon to 4:00 p.m. In 1,650 square feet of living space, 200 Steins has a private first floor bedroom/bath addition, and the living and dining rooms retain historic oxblood-stained wood flooring. The outstanding kitchen has extensive cabinets, beautiful stone countertop, and great space soaring upward more than 14 feet, with a wonderful glimpse of an original stone wall.

Next door, 206 Steins has 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths in its 2,600 square feet, with numerous distinctive features crafted from original wood and stone. The largest home at 2,800 square feet, 210 Steins has been redesigned in an imaginative open plan with a divider wall and custom cabinets of the old-growth wood. There is slate countertop in the kitchen, a beautiful stone wall, and two bonus rooms, one with French doors. Every home has new wood windows with insulated glass and bedroom suites with luxurious baths and new dormer windows for great light upstairs.

The outstanding preservation work included matching the historic mix of sand and lime of original mortar for authentic restoration. There are new garages and innovative backyards, incorporating local limestone salvaged from the site in a serene, almost courtyard setting, surrounded by a wrought iron fence.

Originally built by German stonemasons as early as the 1830's, Steins Row is close to many other historic sites in Carondelet. The craftsmen who built these homes founded St. Boniface in 1860, and the Carondelet Historic Center is located in Blow School, the very first kindergarten in America. The stately Convent of the Sisters of St. Joseph, founded in 1836, overlooks the Mississippi River. Today Carondelet retains the charm of that small, historic town. Carondelet Community Betterment Corporation, let by Sister Marie Charles, works to improve health care and housing resources. Close to the river, the neighborhood is home to barges and tow boats, antique shops and great housing.

The team that saved Steins Row included Alderman Matt Villa, the City's Community Development Administration and Cultural Resources Office. Additional financing came from State historic tax credits, Lindell Bank, and Landmarks Association, through a state grant. Curran Redevelopment's accomplishments include more than 25 completed projects in Forest Park Southeast Neighborhood, setting high standards for a neighborhood comeback with imaginatively rehabbed homes. Next, Curran will create condominiums in a Carondelet architectural gem, the Maddox School.

The "Steins Row" homes were recently honored by Landmarks Association, and now they're ready for homebuyers. They feature Homeowner Protection Plans and full 10-year tax abatement and range in price from $149,000 to $239,000. For more information, call Coldwell Banker Gundaker's Julia Mittelstadt at (314) 862-5628. To reach Steins Row from Highway 55, take the Loughborough exit east, right on Virginia and left on Steins Street. You can explore other city living opportunities at our City of St. Louis website.