1889 (603 North Sixth Street) - St. Charles, MO - Missouri Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

County of building: St. Charles County
Location of building: N 6th St. & Lewis St., NW corner, St. Charles
Built: 1889
Architect/Builder: Unknown
Architectural Style: Folk Victorian
Original Occupant: John Wilke
Historic District Map

Marker Text:

1889
603 North Sixth Street
of
The Commons Neighborhood
1834 John and Herman Wilke arrived from Hanover, Germany.

1850's John and Herman established successful farms in Portage Des Souix Township, now Orchard
    Farms.

1860's John and Herman both served for the Union during the Civil War. John's rank is unknown.
    Herman's rank was Lieutenant in the Home Guard. Southern renegades raided Herman Wilke's
    farm to killed him. His assailant was shot by Henry Kettler, a hired hand. Kettler served as a
    private in the Civil War 1961-1862.

1867 John Wilke purchased half of this block along 6th street.

1873 John Wilke purchased the rest of this block along 7th Street.

1889 John Wilke had this house built for his retirement.

    It is a brick Queen Anne with double brick dentils beneath the cornices. The steep hipped roof
    has two cross gables. The turned porch posts support a spindled frieze suspended from the
    porch roof. The bay windows with their concave mansard roofs are distinctive.

1902 In order to pay John Wilke's heirs, house and lot were sold to highest bidder, Henry Kettler, the
    long time family friend and defender.

     The house remained with Kettler and his heirs for almost 80 years.

Web link: [Web Link] History of Mark: "Built: 1889 Style/Design: Folk Victorian Although this address is not listed in the 1891-92 city directory, according to the plaque in the front yard the house was built in 1889 for John Wilke for his retirement. He came from Hanover, Germany, in 1834 and in the 1850s established a successful farm in Portage Des Sioux Township (now Orchard Farm). In 1902, in order to pay his heirs, the house was sold to the highest bidder, Henry Kettler, a family friend. The house remained in the Kettler family for almost 80 years. "This 83’x95’ corner lot is elevated above the public sidewalks that span both street frontages. A concrete sidewalk with four steps leads from Sixth Street to the portico, where it then turns forks to extend down the sides of the house. A Versalok retaining wall spans the southern lot line, and it is pierced by a concrete stairway with 8 steps. A wooden privacy fence encloses the rear yard. There are no outbuildings." ~ St. Charles Historic Survey  Phase IV, PDF pages 186-189 Additional point: Not Listed

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