I’ve looked at the Washington Terrace gates before, first in January of 2012 and then again in November of 2014.
I would probably describe the architecture as Norman Romanesque Revival, it seems like it was shrouded in ivy for much of its early existence. Readers have told me that college students or young men lived in the gatehouse in exchange for maintaining it and doing yardwork.
The gatehouse was severely damaged in the May 16, 2025 tornado, with its pinnacle smashed off and perhaps lost.
But this summer the renovation of this historic structure is proceeding nicely.
Your sources are correct. This masterpiece of Harvey Ellis has an apartment used first by a guard – push buttons signaled from the earlier homes . Then it was home to college students who watched the entrance and did minor chores for the trustees – one is now a Federal Appeals Judge . The bath and tiny kitchen are on the lower level. Up a curved stair is a general room for all purpose. There is a light which needs replacing in that lantern – on a pulley .
At one point, the ground floor space was a mini-substation for the St.Louis police. Many years ago, I encountered a policeman there. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to go upstairs to look fora tower clock or evidence of a clock bell.
Oh, so nice to see this restoration. My brother lived in a carriage house on the street when he was in law school, keeping up that student tradition LOL. A dear high school friend also lived on Washington Terrace. Her dad managed condos in the Central West End and hired and me and some of my gal pals as lifeguards for their pools!