Gemini Ink

Edna Campos-Gravenhorst has authored six books, three of which pertain to historical research: Historical Home Research in the City of St. Louis (self-published, 2003), Benton Park West (Arcadia Publishing, 2005), and Southwest Garden (Arcadia Publishing, 2008). Edna was born in Freer, TX and now resides in San Antonio after living 13 years in the Midwest. She became interested in historical research while looking to buy a historic house in St. Louis with her husband Ted, realizing that realtors and home owners could only tell them that the house had been built a century ago. Edna has now researched 300 historic structures in St. Louis.

Edna will conduct a class on Historical Home Research in Nonfiction Writing that will take place on two consecutive Saturdays, Jan. 30 and Feb 6.  In the class, participants will learn, where to go, what to look for and how to use research to write nonfiction books and articles. Then, participants will learn where and how to submit articles for publication.

Gemini Ink University Without Walls director Leslie Plant and intern Angelia Potter spoke with Edna Campos-Gravenhorst about her upcoming class.

Gemini Ink: What has been one of the most interesting historical structures that you have researched?

Edna Campos-Gravenhorst: There have been so many; it is hard to narrow it down to one.  So I will tell you about one that involves a ghost.

Soulard is a historic neighborhood in St. Louis, there is a large inventory of historic homes and businesses.  The Anheuser Busch Brewery is in this neighborhood.  I was hired to do a history for a house that sits up from the street at the corner of S. 13^th and Lami, this house is known as, “The Haunted House of Soulard.”  The owner and developer of this house built in 1873 didn’t buy into the ghost theory until he experienced some weird happenings on the third floor.  I went into the project without any knowledge of the house being haunted.

As I was digging around city hall, the central library and the research center for the history museum, I found out who the original owners were.  Johanna Busch, niece of Adolphus Busch, and her husband had built the house.  Johanna’s husband, who ran the bottling plant at the brewery, killed himself in New York during the stock market crash in 1929.  Johanna lived in the house until she died.  After reading her obituary, we knew why the house was haunted.  Johanna died in the house on her 90^th birthday, she had lived there for 70 years.  The homeowner reasoned the ghost in his house was not trying to frighten him, she was just checking out what changes were being made to her home.

GI: How does a house most significantly manifest its previous occupants’ personalities?

ECG: Historic homes, just like houses built today, were built to accommodate the owners’ and their families’ needs and wants in a price range they could afford.  For example, my husband and I own a historic home in the Benton Park West Neighborhood in St. Louis.  This red brick house, built in 1884, has three floors and a basement.  Why did one family need so much room?  As was common with most families during that time, the adult children did not leave home until they married.  The Richard Merkel family consisted of the father, mother and four grown children.  Mr. Merkel was a laborer, his daughter was a school teacher and the three sons owned a bookbinding business.  They were working class  and the house reflects this.  The wooden floors are oak planks with no fancy designs set in different woods, the fireplace mantel is made of oak instead of marble, the front entrance to the house is on the side and not facing the street.   When you purchase a home there is always an emotional undercurrent with the house you choose to buy, which you can’t explain at the time.  The reason unveils itself later as you discover your home’s past.  In our case, when I set foot into the front parlor, I told my husband, “This is the house I want to write in.”  Later I found out the original owners were bookbinders.  I wrote and published six books while living in this house.  My husband is a big American Civil War fan, his ancestors signed up with the Union Army, while mine signed up with the Confederates.  Our dog’s name is General Robert E. Lee.  I found out that Richard Merkel was a Union Civil War veteran who received a pension for his services and war disability.  He was blind in his right eye.   My husband and I both felt a connection to the house right away.

GI: In your opinion, what is the purpose of documenting the history of a house?

ECG: My clients are developers/builders, architects, real estate agents and homeowners.  For developers/builders the facts discovered in a house history help with the rehab of the structure.  If the house is in a historic district the exterior must be historically correct.  A house history will give details of the original structure.  They might want to tear down a porch or an addition, they will have to prove they were not original to the structure.  They also use the history for marketing the property after the renovations are complete.

For architects, it is important to know the original design of the house, before drawing plans for a rehab or renovation in a historic district.  I had a client who hired me after the architect had already drawn up the plans for the builder.  The roof on the house had caved in years ago, so when the architect drew up the plans, he designed the reconstruction with a flat roof, since most of the houses on that block had flat roofs.  When the plans were reviewed by the state architect so the construction could begin, the state wanted to know how they knew the house had originally had a flat roof.  So I was hired to prove this point.  I found out the house had a pitched roof and the plans had to be redrawn.  Bottom line, it costs more money after the fact.

Real estate agents use the house history in marketing the listing of a historic home.  Instead of the usual open house, they are able to provide a home history tour.  The history is a way of romancing an old house.  While they walk around with potential buyers, they can point out the features using historical facts.  Most buyers of historic homes want to know more than just the age of a house.  The realtor is able to weave a story for potential buyers based on facts not on oral history provided by neighbors.  Some times what people remember is not accurate.  When the realtor sells the house, the home history binder is given to the new buyers as a house warming gift.  The new buyers really appreciate this gift, it will lead to great conversations when they have house guests.

For homeowners the history of a house provides answers to questions ranging from, who is the ghost that lives in my house to why a staircase was reconstructed or why an addition was added or demolished.  Those of us that live in historic places like to have a connection with the house we have chosen to preserve for the next generation.  As we like to say, “We are not owners, we are keepers of a historic home. “  Knowing the history of our homes gives us a sense of place.

GI: Do you plan on writing about any historical structures in San Antonio?

ECG: I am looking for my next book project in San Antonio.  I will either write a book based on a historic neighborhood which will include historic structures or a book based on a family owned business which has been in San Antonio for more than fifty years.  There is a great opportunity to write such books for my publisher, Arcadia Publishing.  For example, in the St. Louis area Arcadia has published thirty-four books based on the history of the area compared to four books in San Antonio.  San Antonio has a very rich history, a large inventory of historic structures and many historic neighborhoods which deserve national recognition.  There are so many stories that need to be told.

GI: What are you currently working on?

ECG: Right now I am researching and writing my seventh book, Negreta, an American Nigress.  It is my first attempt at writing fiction and a historical novel, so it will take me a few years to write and publish it.  In the meantime, I would like to preserve the history of working class San Antonio by publishing books on historic neighborhoods and family-owned businesses.