The Samuel Cupples House is a historic

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word '' manse'' originally defined a property l ...

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, constructed from 1888 to 1890 by

Samuel Cupples Samuel Cupples (September 13, 1831 – January 6, 1912) was an American businessman and entrepreneur based in St. Louis, Missouri. Early life Cupples was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to James and Elizabeth (Bingham) Cupples. His parents ...

. It is now a museum on the campus of

Saint Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Mississip ...

. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1976.

History

Originally designed by Thomas B. Annan in the

Romanesque Revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...

architectural style An architectural style is a set of characteristics and features that make a building or other structure notable or historically identifiable. It is a sub-class of style in the visual arts generally, and most styles in architecture relate closely ...

, construction of the house and stables began in 1888, before being completed in 1890 at an expense of $15 million in 2020 dollars. Originally, the home was the residence of wealthy St. Louis entrepreneur

. In 1946, the house was bought by

for $50,000

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

and converted to serve as a student center (complete with a bowling alley and bar in the basement) and an office for academic advising. In 1973, Maurice McNamee, S.J. was tasked with restoring the mansion to its original appearance. Since its restoration, the House has been converted into a museum.

Exhibits

Today, the Eleanor Turshin Glass Collection is shown throughout the house as a permanent exhibit showcasing

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

and

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

glassware. The basement of the building houses the McNamee Gallery, which hosts art exhibitions of SLU students and faculty, as well as visiting artists.

References

External links

Official website
(Saint Louis University) Houses in St. Louis Saint Louis University Museums in St. Louis Historic house museums in Missouri University museums in Missouri Landmarks of St. Louis Richardsonian Romanesque architecture in Missouri

Art museums and galleries in Missouri Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, A ...

Decorative arts museums in the United States Midtown St. Louis Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri National Register of Historic Places in St. Louis 1976 establishments in Missouri Tourist attractions in St. Louis Buildings and structures in St. Louis Gilded Age mansions {{StLouis-struct-stub