This Queen Anne mansion on West Pine Boulevard in the Central West End was built in 1892 by Thomas C. Higgins, who built and designed the house, as one of two of his designs on the street. One of the most notable features in the Higgins designs are the large octagonal turrets that are the dominant feature of the house. A 1905 document shows that Higgins had a Missouri State Supreme Court case over real estate debt issues, where he was the plaintiff. The houses on West Pine Boulevard were built for the wealthiest residents of St. Louis at the turn of the century, as it became fashionable to live nearer to Forest Park. The neighborhood remained as one of the wealthiest parts of the city into the 1950s, but it began to decline as the wealthy residents began to move to the suburbs. A number of the mansions remained as single family houses, but many were turned into rooming houses. Throughout the late 20th century, many of the mansions were restored, as Washington University invested in the neighborhood and the wealthy began to return to the area. Today, the Central West End is once again among the wealthiest areas in the city, with this mansion, along with many others, surviving intact.
