The Wyeth-Tootle Mansion Museum sits at what is probably the highest point in the neighborhood, and is a sight to behold.

The mansion takes up an entire block, but arranged on the streets around it are a bevy of other interesting historic houses, many of which have been renovated, as well.

There is even a synagogue.

Further away we came across a firehose tower. It doesn’t seem like fire stations still have these?

This is the house that Aunt Jemima built!

Built in 1890 for R.T. Davis of the eponymous milling company, it was designed by Joseph H. Bennett.

Romanesque Revival? Certainly in some aspects but it seems inadequate to just say that.

It has some of the fancifulness of the Queen Anne, as well.

There are so many huge houses for a city this size!

This brings an end to our tour of St. Joseph, which shows us an interesting counterpoint to St. Louis. One thing I did notice that I liked is that the city does not demolish high quality houses, but mothballs them, which is a big difference from St. Louis, which has a “It became necessary to destroy the town to save it” mentality. Really worked out great for St. Louis, hasn’t it, with huge swaths of the city now coming around on being vacant for seventy years since their demolition for urban renewal. St. Joseph is not perfect, but there are not miles after miles of wasteland.