Historic Sappington House Museum in Crestwood, Missouri was built by slaves in 1808 it is now on the National Historic Register.
This house is the oldest brick home in the St. Louis area, located in Crestwood. Included in the complex housing the Sappington House are a restaurant and library. The Library of Americana includes resources on American History and Decorative Arts.
The house is a rare example of federal architecture in the Midwest. It is furnished with items made before 1835 and decorated as if the Sappingtons were still living in the house. No nails were used to build the house; instead wooden pegs hold its framework together. Similar to what the Amish still use to build their structures. The bricks were handmade on the site and hexagonal hearth tiles were used in several rooms.
A smokehouse, necessary house (restroom), well house, and small pond complete the setting.
HISTORY
The Sappingtons were friends of Daniel Boone in Kentucky and followed him to the St. Louis area in 1804, the same year Lewis and Clark set out on their exploration of the Louisiana Purchase. When Thomas Sappington married Mary Ann Kinkead in 1808, he went to Kentucky for plans for the house. The house was built in 1808 using slave labor. It is thought to be the oldest brick house in St. Louis County. After the last Sappington left the house in 1877, a number of people owned it, but in 1884 a family named Nickles bought it. Their daughter Lily lived in the house until 1961 when the city of Crestwood purchased it.
Location: From downtown St. Louis, take I-44 West. Exit at Big Bend and go east on Big Bend about a half-mile to Sappington Road. Turn south (right) on Sappington Road and go about a half-mile. Sappington House is on the right just past the railroad tracks. The sign says, “Sappington Barn and Restaurant Parking” but you can park there for the museum as well.
HOURS: Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, noon-3 p.m.; the last tour is at 2:30 p.m. Closed, Sunday and Monday. Closed January and holidays and the Saturday before holidays. A videotaped tour of the house with its history is available for individuals who are not able to physically tour the Sappington Museum. The closed-captioned video is 19 minutes long and can be viewed in the wheelchair-accessible Library of Americana. Admission fees and times are the same as for the walking tours.
ADMISSION: $2.50, adults; 50 cents, children ages 6-11. Not recommended for toddlers.
Phone: 314-822-8171
