The Big House on Cook Avenue

 A 122-year-old brick house dominates the street scene at the corner of Whittier Street and Cook Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri. Builders erected the 2378 square foot house in 1892. Its unique architecture includes a turret balcony on the second floor of the northeast wall. When first built, 4200 Cook must have been an impressive site.

Today, 4200 Cook is not so impressive unless you are fascinated by how much a brick building can decay before it collapses. No one has lived at 4200 Cook consistently since 1989. It does not appear rehabbers can save the structure.

Sadly, a couple wanted to rehab the building in the early 2000s but faced so many obstacles they eventually quit in frustration around 2003. Vandals and neglect wrecked the preliminary work they completed before quitting in frustration.

Looking at the size and architecture, I guessed that it must have been a rich St. Louisan’s home at one time. However, builders may have sold it as a home with rooms to let. As early as 1901, the private family, who owned 4200 Cook Avenue, rented two rooms to tenants.

Since it was built in 1892, I doubt it became a rooming house so quickly. It would be more likely that the builder designed it as a home and room rental property. I cannot say for sure, however.

On November 6, 1904, robbers surprised Michael Reiney, who roomed at 4200 Cook Avenue. They robbed Reiney of $2 as he walked near Cook and Whittier. The robbers did not injure Reiney. No record exists of the police catching the robbers. This episode shows that crime is not a modern problem but one that we struggled with even in the “good old days”.

In a few more years, all we may have of 4200 Cook Avenue is pictures, so look and imagine of what 4200 Cook once was and could have been again. Too much of St. Louis history is lying around the city in piles of brick.

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