This mansion at 23rd and St. Louis Avenue is one of the largest and most elaborately designed houses along St. Louis Avenue. Built in 1892 by John Costello, this mansion features a variety of elements from different architectural styles, including Romanesque, Italianate, and Greek Revival. One of the most unique features on the mansion is the large dormer that is shaped like the turrets that were common on many houses from the time period, and it is decorated with copper ornamentation that is most closely associated with Italianate design. The house also features a Greek Revival entryway, complete with Corinthian columns. The mansion also features several fireplaces with tall decorative chimneys, and is constructed out of a rich red brick, with a limestone foundation. When the house was first constructed, the area was one of the wealthiest parts of the city, and the large mansions constructed on the street gave it the name, Millionaires Row. However, by the mid 20th century, the wealthy had moved further west, and the neighborhood was mostly filled with working class residents. After white flight in the 1950s and 1960s, St. Louis place became a rapidly declining area, and many of the small scale houses around the mansion were demolished. Despite this, most of St. Louis Avenue stayed intact, and this mansion survived. Until 2013, the house was owned by an absentee landlord, but was foreclosed upon, and subsequently looted after its abandonment. Since that time, it has found a new owner who lives in the carriage house while they are working to restore the house to its 1890s glory.
