3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, 1,824 sq. feet
Queen Anne
arching natural woodwork, pocket doors
kitchen appliances stay.
Lovely outdoor deck with pond for entertaining.
One car garage
Iron fence
$129,000
MLS#2132545
Call Lisa Rock at Re/Max to take a look
Located in the charming Harris Kemper National Historic District, this Queen Anne home has sat proudly behind its iron fence since at least 1898. The house was built by local entrepreneur and real estate developer (John) George Schneider. Ernst V. Harding and his wife Jessie M. chose the house as a sign of their upward mobility; he was a cashier at the German American Bank and seemed to be on the path to prosperity and influence in St. Joseph.
Their turreted home was decorated with a fish scale shingle frieze and gable dormers and imposing cast stone columns fronted the house. It is a house that reflects well on those who live in it. Inside the lovely arched woodwork, pocket doors, and graceful stairway made it the perfect place to entertain.
But in the Spring of 1901, scandal disturbed the quiet neighborhood. Ernst had disappeared and rumors spread through the city like wildfire. There were those who whispered that he had stolen from his employer and absconded with the cash; stories that were seemingly confirmed after he was found the victim of a botched suicide attempt. And then he began to talk. He claimed that he had returned home unexpectedly one afternoon and found his wife dallying with their coachman. He supposedly was so horrified that he fled the scene and attempted to kill himself with morphine at the Hotel Metropole. He then fled to Colorado. Jessie loudly defended herself and people began to listen when it emerged that Ernst had not gone to Colorado alone; he had taken a young lady with him. The scandal made the national papers, and Jessie was awarded a divorce. Ernest attempted to hold on to the house when he returned to St. Joseph, but his reputation was so damaged that he was unable to secure employment with a large enough wage to support it. He gave it up in 1905.
Following the departure of the Hardings, the house had a succession of occupants all of whom were solid respectable members of St. Joseph society. Among them was Clarence G. Sampson, the president of Sampson Dry Goods on Felix St., the journalist Clarence C. Pierce, and the Assistant superintendent of Prudential Insurance Co., Harvey J. Becker and his wife Carrie M. Helen C. Burris lived at 1921 Francis for more than 40 years from 1940 until her death in 1981. Initially she lived there with her husband, Lee, but when the marriage broke down Helen shared the home with her sons Jack and Robert (who worked for both Goetz and Pearl breweries as well as Gray Manufacturing).
Since Helen’s death, the house has been much loved and tended. The most recent owner has freshened the exterior paint so as to highlight the decorative elements. It’s charming back yard has been the site of innumerable social gatherings over the years.
Because 1921 Francis is in a Historic District it is eligible for assistance such as the Save Our Heritage grants awarded by the City of St. Joseph.
Historic St Joseph Foundation 