Historically known as the “Block House,” this roadhouse at 8124 St. Charles Rock Road has long been a tavern or roadhouse on the main route between St. Louis and St. Charles. And boy, judging from old newspaper articles, it long had a history of suspended liquor licenses back in the day (disclaimer: in no way am I saying this reflects the current ownership and management of the restaurant in the building today). In the 1930s, it even had illegal gambling machines. The upstairs was apparently rented out for weddings.
As you can see above, there is an addition out the back. I learned about this building from a reader’s tip. This is not the only concrete block tavern; there is a shuttered one in Baden, and there are of course two districts in the West End of concrete block houses. I suspect the tavern above and the house below were built together, and the proprietor lived in the domicile below. While concrete blocks were a bit of a luxury item at one time, I also suspect this was a cheap and easy way to construct the buildings in a relatively remote corner of St. Louis County at the time.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this building was also on the former site of a historic stop on the original road from St Louis to St Charles. Some would like to include the Rock Road in the Booneslick Road, but its original purpose, hence the name, and destination was St Charles and thus predates the Booneslick. Travelers needed rest stops, and I have always thought of places like this, as later reincarnations of those early inns.
I had the same thought, Dorris. It is certainly possible this has been a tavern or stage coach stop for a much longer time than this building has been here.