The Campbell House 11.16.2006 | 0 Comment(s)

On a warm August afternoon, I visited the Campbell House located Downtown at 15th & Locust Street.

I rang the bell at the front door to gain access, and a minute later, a very cute employee opened the door and I was instantly thrown back in time 100 years. I paid $6 for a guided tour and instantly I was swimming in the fascinating history of Saint Louis and the Campbell House. I was lucky enough to be the only patron in the museum at that time, so my tour was personal and a huge amount of fun.

A map of old downtown St. Louis hung on the wall next to the front door. Interesting facts popped out at me instantly. Did you know that Tucker Boulevard is so wide downtown because there used to be open air markets in the middle of the street? Most of the churches downtown are still standing, only in the map, they were surrounded by beautiful houses and tree lined streets.

If there is a word to describe Victorian decor, it would be "overthetop." The front parlor was doused in multitudes of patterns and colors. Furniture filled almost every empty nook and the carpet was so detailed it almost boggled the mind. These people clearly did not understand the meaning of the word "simple." Rich wood adorned a small sitting room just beyond the parlor. Stained glass colored the sunlight from outside a blood red. Not everything was what it seemed in this room. The wood on the walls and fireplace actually had a grain on them that was painted to make it look like a more expensive type of wood! This technique was used throughout the house.

The kitchen was fascinating. Bells of different shapes and sizes formed a line near the ceiling on one wall. Each bell had a string attached to it which disappeared into the wall. My guide told me that each bell represented different rooms in the house, so when someone from, say, the main bedroom wanted some food, he or she pulled a string and one of the bells in the kitchen would ring. The ice box was interesting to look at because of the technology used to keep food cold, it really was ingenious.

The 2nd floor was a maze of small bedrooms for the help. I found it hilarious that the mother-in-law's bedroom was actually located next to the servant rooms. The 3rd floor was devoted to children and parents. A large hutch was pushed to the side in a landing area. Behind it you could see how the coal and pollution from 19th century St. Louis had actually stained the walls in the house, leaving a black, ghostly outline of the hutch on the wallpaper.

The house feels much bigger once inside than it looks from the outside. The way the house is partitioned and divided up makes you feel as if you are inside an elaborately decorated maze.

I highly recommend a tour of this amazing house. The museum is a wonderful resource for City history and offers visitors a truly unique take on life in 19th century St. Louis.