Pike County Living

211 Smith Street, Clarksville, MO 63336

Check out this lovely historic home that is on the market!

http://211smithstreet.canbyours.com/

Clarksville

I was up in Clarksville last Friday and enjoyed the beautiful day and views of the Mississippi River.  Spring will be here before you know it. Now is an ideal time for a drive in the country....try 79 from 70 all the way to Louisiana. You can see some special homes and views now before the leaves come out.

Pike County Missouri Land Prices

Large tracts of Pike County, Missouri land do not come on the market often.  Here is a list of some significant sales in the last 12 months:

• Highway W $2,250,000 for 745 acres ($3020/acre)
• Highway W $1,587,600 for 504 acres ($3150/acre)
• Highway W $1,532,000 for 504 acres ($3039/acre)
• Highway WW $1,388,465 for 426 acres ($3259/acre)
• Highway W $1,000,000 for 124 acres ($8064/acre)
• Highway W $900,600 for 237 acres ($3800/acre)
• Highway H $576,000 for 96 acres ($6,000/acre)

 

HGTV's New Magazine Features One of My Louisiana, MO Listings

You Need to Buy a Pike County Historic Home as a Weekend Get-a-way!

On the East and West Coasts there is a culture of buying cute, historic homes in small country towns as a weekend retreat. This idea is not as prevalent in the Mid-West. Though take a moment and imagine owning a historic home in a charming river town. Decorating it with your antiques! Having an art studio in the home! Walking to the Mississippi River to take a walk! Dining at a local restaurant that specializes in local produce and meats! Attending a local festival! Going to services in a country church! Having house guests up for the weekend! Antiquing! Water sports on the river!

You can do it....all up in Pike County. Clarksville and Louisiana, Missouri have inexpensive historic homes that are for sale from $50,000- $400,000. All only within 1.5 hours of St. Louis.

1307 Georgia St, Louisiana, MO FOR SALE

Historic home located in the Mississippi river town of Louisiana. Georgia Street is one of the loveliest small town streets in the nation. Each home is unique and has stature! This home is a special opportunity for someone to transform a historic structure into a showplace. We are looking for a Buyer who has vision and style! The home has a lovely, sweeping staircase with a walnut bannister. The Living Room and Dining room are bright and gracious. Large family room in the back of the house. One bedroom is on the 1^st floor. Two other bedrooms are upstairs- one has been used as an apartment complete with a kitchen and separate entrance in back. The property is a double-deep lot and includes a garage and guest cottage. This property is many blocks from the Mississippi River and is high and dry!

$67,900

Listed by Ted Wight, Dielmann Sotheby’s International Realty, 314-607-5555, tedwight@aol.com

211 Smith Street, Clarksville, MO FOR SALE

Wonderful Circa 1850’s home located in the lovely river town of Clarksville. This home is not in a flood plain. The home has a gracious front porch with swing. Completely updated. You will love the light that streams in from tall windows into every room of this home. The Living Room and Dining Room have an open floor plan which is unique for a period home. Updated country-kitchen with a professional gas stove, new/updated cabinets, chopping block counters, china cabinet and pantry. Gas fireplace in Family Room. New roof. New furnace. Central AC. Updated electric and wiring. Oversized 2-car garage. Screened porch. Home Warranty included. Clarksville has so much to offer: eagle watching, river kayaking, a gourmet restaurant, festivals, fresh vegetables, farm-raised meats, antique shops and galleries.

$119,000

http://211smithstreet.canbyours.com/

Listed by Ted Wight, Dielmann Sotheby’s International Realty, 314-607-5555  tedwight@aol.com

Grace Church- Clarksville is gleaming again!

I was in Clarksville this week and drove by the old Grace Church that was sold last year to a St. Louis couple.  They are turning it into a studio/loft. I need to pop by to say hello, I hear they are nice.

Frederick Dunn designed this beauty...what a treat to have it in Clarksville!

Before

 

 

 

 

102 N Water Street, Louisiana Gets National Exposure

I am excited that one of my listings up in Louisiana, MO in Pike County got picked up by a popular, national blog- Lovelylistings.  This blog features unique properties throughout the world. Often they are just poorly decorated properties...though mine was chosen since it is so different. It is an old city water processing plant located right on the Mississippi.

http://lovelylisting.icanhascheezburger.com/2011/12/27/funny-real-estate-my-what-a-lovely-pit-you-have/

http://waterstreet.canbyours.com/

2011 Achievements and 2012 Goals

2011 was a good year....in fact, my best year ever!

Here is a brief recap of some of my achievements and milestones:

• Real Estate sales of $8,036,400 which was an increase of 14% over last year. I had 24 transactions which was 60% above last year. My real estate business is moving in the right direction!
• Created my first property videos
• Created property specific websites with QR codes, texting for mobile property info, videos and enhanced functionality
• Launched www.pikecountyliving.com blog
• Hosted a tour of Pike County in May for the St. Louis Landmark Association
• Helped the Ladue News host their first Decorator's Showcase at my listing- 15 Washington Terrace
• Created a Facebook page for my real estate business
• Profiled in Town and Style Magazine in their June 1st issue and listed as one of the Top Agents (#3 out of 10) in their December 7th issue
• Placed a property story on one of my historic Louisiana, MO listings in HG TV's new magazine...check out the Feb issue!
• Improved regular reports that are sent to my listings updating them on web traffic, showings, etc.

 

I can't wait for 2012!
Here are some of my goals for this year:

• Increase my sales to over $10 million
• Further create awareness of the Pike County area
• Host another Pike County ramble for the Landmark Association...this time up to Louisiana, MO
• Improve my property videos to be even better
• Get more publicity for my listings in local and national media
• Create a logo for www.pikecountyliving.com
• Hire an assistant/Buyer's agent

A Picnic @ Our Farm in the 60's

Here is another wonderful family photo that was recently rediscovered. It is my grandfather, aunt and late uncle having a picnic in the woods at our farm in Pike County. I love that my grandfather is in a jacket and tie.  Do you remember the days of the thermos?

Evensong @ St. John's Church- Eolia

Evensong is planned for Jan 8 at 3 p.m. at St John's near Eolia. Wrap up and layer.....it may be cold inside the church.

Santa is Coming to Town!

An imaged shared by Richard C from his lovely Elgin Cottrell House in Clarksville.

Three Barn Farm, Paynesville, MO Pike County SOLD

I am proud to announce that Dielmann Sotheby's International Realty represented the Seller of this lovely farm that is now sold. The new owner is from St. Louis and owns a large catering business.

"One of a kind lovingly built and restored country property. Located on designated scenic Highway W just an 80 minute drive from Chesterfield and 7 miles from historic Clarksville situated amongst old working family farms on asphalt state road. Eye catching New England style home features massive old timbers salvaged from Missouri barns as structural supports. Built by Amish craftsmen and designed for high efficiency. Included on acreage is a new all wood horse barn, 60'x 48' with 5 stalls and 12'x 24' tackroom with rough-in full bath. Restored 1914 60'x40' dairy barn is the crowning touch. Perfect weekend retreat with lots of space and serenity. Bring the kids and animals to this country refuge. 16 acres" Listed originally for $599,900.

 

Stark Brothers Nursery- Louisiana, MO

I have not driven West on Highway 54 from Louisiana in a while....the other day I stumbled across the Stark Brothers Nursery. What a wonderful building. I Iknow I will be there this Spring to buy some fruit trees. I have a lonely apple tree on our farm that needs a mate.....so that it will actually produce apples! The picture is a bit tilted....I was cold and took the photo from my car.

 

Mississippi River View!

One of the most exciting properties that I have seen recently is a home perched above Louisiana, MO with million dollar views of the Mississippi. It really is breath-taking.  I want this view!

Next door is this neglected cottage.

 

Happy Holidays from the Elgin Cottrell House in Clarksville, MO

The lovely Elgin Cottrell House in Clarkville, MO is decked out for the Holidays!

Late Afternoon Light

The light in the wintertime at about 4 PM is beautiful.  These are some pictures from the other day at our farm.

Mesker Brother's Building Facades

The Mesker Brothers were based in St. Louis and manufactured iron storefronts for buildings across the nation.  They did most of the iron storefronts that you see on Laclede's Landing.  Today I was driving through Eolia, MO in Pike County and stopped by a store.  I noticed that this storefront was also built by Mesker Brothers.

Below is from the Illinois Historic Preservation Committee:

Many Main Street commercial buildings of the late 1800s and early 1900s reflect the widespread availability of mass-produced building parts, which ranged from individual components to entire building facades. While prefabricated architectural elements were available from a number of manufacturers, no other companies better exemplify this niche than the Mesker Brothers Iron Works of St. Louis, Missouri, and George L. Mesker Company of Evansville, Indiana. They specialized in ornamental sheet-metal facades and cast iron storefront components, which were ordered through catalogs and easily shipped by rail to any interested building owner. Their extensive product lines not only featured embossed sheet-metal panels and cast iron but also entire storefront assemblies, as well as tin ceilings, fences, skylights, and freight elevators.

“Meskers”, as they are called, are found across America. However, because the companies were based in the Midwest, they are particularly plentiful in Illinois and are part of the state’s rich architectural history. Made of galvanized steel and cast iron, these durable facades often survive, despite the occasional neglect and lack of maintenance. While not all buildings may feature elaborate sheet metal facades, individual building components, such as cornices and window hoods, are quite common throughout the state, especially in smaller communities. If your town has a Mesker facade, we would like to know about it. The goal of our ever-expanding Illinois database (PDF file) and this website is to recognize the historic significance of the Mesker companies in the shaping of our downtowns’ architectural fabric.

121 N Seventh Street. Louisiana, MO Former Methodist Episcopal Church FOR SALE

Live and work in this incredible space. Currently used as a residence. Use your imagination and convert this to a living space plus art studio, gallery, theatre, dance hall or whatever you choose. This converted 1868 church is located in one of the most beautiful Mississippi River towns in Missouri. Also once used as the City Hall for Louisiana. Large garage in lower level. Great loft upstairs. Lower, 1st and 2nd floor baths. In move in condition. Be different and live adventurously!

$137,000

http://thischurch.canbyours.com/

Listed by Ted Wight, Dielmann Sotheby’s International Realty, 314-607-5555  tedwight@aol.com

Day After Thanksgiving

The day after Thanksgiving we traveled up from St. Louis to put up some some real estate signs on properties I have for sale in Louisiana, lunch at The Eagle's Nest and then off to our farm for leftovers! It was such a beautiful day in the mid-60's. The leaves are gone, though the rolling hills of Pike County are beautiful in their bareness. A few of us surveyed our fields to see the progress of the re-fencing and water spot project. It is impressive.....we may be ready to buy cattle this Spring. The "kids" had fun shooting clay pigeons. So much more fun than sitting in a basement playing video games.

Best of Rural Missouri- Readers Choice Awards 2012

Okay Pikers...it is time to get some Pike County attractions recognized. Please vote for your favorite Pike County attraction HERE

Fun Rural Town Historic Storefront- 403 Georgia Street, Louisiana, MO FOR SALE

This is a fun opportunity to buy a historic storefront in the charming Mississippi river town of Louisiana. The building dates to 1879 and for many years was a saloon. In the 30’s the storefront was converted to be Maxfield’s Department Store. The exterior has original vitrolite facing from the 30’s and the Maxfield’s neon sign. The interior is fun, coffee-house chic. Pieces have been salvaged and repurposed throughout the structure. This space would be an ideal bar, coffee house, restaurant or retail space. There is ample living space above the storefront for the owner to live. New electrical systems and plumbing. Be different and adventurous!

$59,900

Listed by Ted Wight and Nancy Hereford, Dielmann Sotheby’s International Realty, 314-725-0009

Super Cool! 102 and 110 North Water Street, Louisiana, MO Buildings FOR SALE

110 N Water Street

Louisiana, MO 63353

Imagine living in a loft building right on the Mississippi….it really is in your front yard! High enough not to flood. This is an old city water treatment plant building. Cool and quirky! Wait until your friends and family see your fun loft. Rare opportunity to live stylishly in a unique structure. The space can also be used for a commercial space. Be different!

http://waterstreet.canbyours.com/

Listed by Ted Wight, Dielmann Sotheby’s International Realty, 314-607-5555, tedwight@aol.com

102 N Water Street

Louisiana, MO 63353

Right on the Mississippi….it really is in your front yard! High enough not to flood. This is an old city water treatment plant complex complete with two tanks and attached buildings. Cool and quirky! One metal tank has been configured as a dynamic retail/office space. The other tank is a fun outdoor space that feels like you are in the middle of a contemporary sculpture. Living and office space attached. The structure could be a cool bar/restaurant, retail space, office space or a lofty living space. This is a rare opportunity to own a unique building that has a “wow” impact. Be different!

http://waterstreet.canbyours.com/

Listed by Ted Wight, Dielmann Sotheby’s International Realty, 314-607-5555, tedwight@aol.com

Historic Pike County Hill-top Home

This week I was up in Pike County traveling up Highway D to Louisiana and saw this house from the distance.  Now that the leaves are falling, you can see some of the grand historic homes of Pike County better.  This home has lovely panoramic views of the countryside.

and there is something about driving down a gravel road in Pike County!

where I stumbled across this other historic home....

 

2005 Georgia Street, Louisiana, Missouri FOR SALE

Historic home built in 1895 by Frank Buffum of Lacrosse Lumber. Located on one the most lovely small-town streets in the Midwest, this home is perfect in every way. This home has had many updates, though retains all of its old-world elegance. The 33’ x 20’ main parlor is gorgeous with its extensive, hand-carved paneling suitable for a lumber baron. The large Dining Room is bright & gracious. Wait until you see the new, gourmet kitchen complete with granite counters, high-end stainless steel appliances & plenty of custom cabinets. The kitchen features a walk-in pantry & separate butler’s pantry with built-in Bird’s Eye maple cupboards. 3 lovely bedrooms are on the 1st floor & 2.5 baths. Large 1^st floor laundry room. 10’+ ceilings. Hardwood floors throughout the 1^st fl. Dramatic 2^nd floor with a large recreation area, upper loft, 2 bedrooms & a full bath. 2 car carriage house that features the original stables & an upper, unfinished living area. All new electrical & AC.

$325,000

http://2005georgia.canbyours.com/

Listed by Ted Wight, Dielmann Sothebys International Realty, 314-607-5555, tedwight@aol.com

A Weekend Gathering @ The Farmhouse

November is upon us and I always race this time of year to finish projects at our farmhouse. I have all of the porch floors painted and our staircase....maybe a little wood work will get painted before the house gets put to sleep for the winter.

I am happy with the outcome of pulling all of the yews and other bushes out of the front of the house.  You will see that most houses of this period did not have heavy foundation planting. Foundation planting with yews became popular in the 50's....this is when foundations were made of poured concrete and people wanted to hide them. Older houses have lovely brick or stone foundations....why hide them!

I really do not entertain much at our farmhouse. It is just so much work to clean the house and get it in tip top shape for guests....city people do not understand a few spider webs and lady bugs all over the house.  Though after it is all done....it is worth it. The best thing it does is to force me to finish projects.  Earlier this Spring I had the house on tour for St. Louis' Landmark's Association Pike County Ramble Tour.  This motivated me to redo a bedroom that was in pretty bad shape...complete with a wallpaper border coming down and a heavily cracked ceiling. Now is is so pretty!  Over the weekend I had ten people stay at the house overnight. The house has 5 legitimate beds....so couches and air mattresses made nice sleeping arrangements for the overflow. What a lovely night...we had the fireplace ablaze and also the fire-pit going outside!  Games, good food and wine made the evening memorable. Sunday morning we started with a nice country breakfast followed by a long walk on our farm.  The afternoon was spent shopping in Clarksville and lunch at Overlook Farm's restaurant.

For breakfast Bobby made the most delicious item.... he cooked up sausage and added it to scrambled eggs....then split biscuits and put a spoonful of the mixture on-top of the uncooked biscuit....I think they were cooked at 350 until brown....try it ....they were easy and crowd-pleasers!

A walk helped burn off the hearty breakfast.

Missouri Farmland Prices Continue to Surge

Check out this ARTICLE on the price of farmland in Missouri.

Elegant Decay

I went through this house the other day up in Louisiana, Pike County, MO. The owner has completely restored the outside, though the inside is still in a state of elegant decay. I sort of love it....though of course, it needs to be finished.

When I was a young boy and when we stayed at our farm over the weekend, my parents took us to the Catholic Church up in Louisiana. I was always a little embarrassed...after staying at the farm, we looked a little homely for church. Well, we used to walk past this house and it was covered with ivy and all of the shutters closed. The exterior is beautiful now.  The owner has given a gift to Louisiana of resurrecting an eyesore. Now it is your turn to turn the interior into a showplace! It is for sale...contact me if you are interested.

 

Gracious Home on Georgia St in Louisiana, Missouri

Yesterday I accidentally went up a driveway when I was looking for a client's home nearby. What a lovely surprise to find this lovely home.  I am told that a cousin of Andrew Jackson built it in the early 1800's.  Below is a comment from someone who knows the house:  

"My favorite I think. A young man from Iowa has bought it and keeps it really nice. When I was a young lad the front was a field and was full of jonquils in the spring. Ms. Keith was a little odd and she road around on her bicycle in an old buckskin coat, it was her father Dr. Keith who built it. It is rumored to be pattered after the Jackson home The Heritage.His office was in the back. I went to the auction after Ms. keith died and I have some items from this old historic place. Just beautiful. Richard from My Old Historic House." Richard