This set of houses along Missouri Avenue were built in 1879 by Jacob Christopher of the Christopher and Simpson cast iron architectural company. Christopher and Simpson were well known for their cast iron storefronts and ornamentation all over the city of St. Louis, ranging from Old North all the way down to Cherokee Street. However, both Christopher and Simpson lived in Lafayette Square for many decades, and a large number of their housing developments were located there, with Simpson Place being one of their most prominent features. These second Empire townhouses would have been sold to fairly wealthy individuals, as they featured stone fronted facades, which were generally only seen on the more expensive houses, as it was much more expensive to use quarried limestone to front a house than to use brick. As with many houses in the neighborhood, these were likely used as rooming houses during the Great Depression era and into the mid 20th century. By the 1970s, work had begun on the restoration of the neighborhood, and the northernmost house (on the right) was featured on the inaugural Lafayette Square House tour in 1969. This year, the house was featured once again as part of the 50th anniversary tour, and the house has remained in good condition with many of the original architectural features still there.
