While the Italiante and Second Empire styles can be found throughout America, in St. Louis in the late Nineteenth Century some interesting happened.  Someone took the characteristics of both styles and combined them together, as you can see in the house above on South Compton Avenue.  Combining the Mansard roof of the Second Empire (see first house) with the more squat roof lines of the Italianate, a more compressed version of the Mansard was created.  Also, while the lintels of the Second Empire are often simple, the heavily encrusted and carved lintels of the Italianate (see second house) appear in this hybrid style.  I think these create some of the most interesting and beautiful houses in St. Louis.

Update: The house below was demolished by the owners after years of neglect in the summer of 2016.