This building on Park Avenue at the entrance to Benton Place was built in the early 1870s, as a mansion that was owned by James Britton in 1875, when it was drawn on the 1875 Compton and Dry map. Britton was a short term mayor of St. Louis. Britton had been the head of the National Bank of Missouri, but when Arthur Barret suddenly died in office in 1875, Britton decided to run for mayor against Henry Overstolz. He won the election, and was appointed as mayor, but Overstolz demanded a recount due to alleged ballot stuffing. After the recount, Overstolz beat Britton by a mere 77 votes, and in 1876, he took office. By 1909, the mansion had been been converted into a Lutheran seminary by C.F.W Walther. In 1917, it was purchased by the Brookes Bible College, who put an addition on the house, which they used as their seminary building. The curator who was in charge at this time was Joseph H. Gauss, who was a member of the Presbyterian Church. During the time of the seminary’s usage of the building, the neighborhood had begun to go into decline as most of the mansions in the area were turned into rooming houses. After the seminary had moved, this building was converted into apartments and condos in the 1980s. The main entryway has been preserved with most of the original architectural features, despite many of the rooms having been modernized. Today, Lafayette Square has become one of the most desirable neighborhoods to live in the city, and has been returned to its original glory.
