Site Dedication Ceremony for Historic Stone Home

On September 17th,  I attended the Historic Site Dedication Ceremony for the landmark property located at 124 E. Stein Street in Saint Louis, Missouri that I recently portrayed in an original 11″ x 14″ pencil illustration. This 160 year old house was a stone shell in serious disrepair when it was acquired in 2014 by Tim and Marcia Dorsey because Marcia had many fond childhood memories there during the years when it was the home of her Italian immigrant grandmother. The Dorsey’s began the tedious process of restoring the small building as authentically as possible, using skilled craftsmen to repair the stone walls using clay-based mortar, and roofed the structure with early 19th century style wood shingles, and installed wood framed windows with small panes. They named the small home “Mio Nonni’s Casa” in honor of Marcia’s grandmother.

At the ceremony, the Dorsey’s were presented the official marker plaque by David Bouchein  and attendees had the opportunity to enter the interior and learn of the history of the house and details of the restoration process — all quite fascinating, especially to those like myself with a deep appreciation for older homes. 

The original pencil house portrait I was commissioned to create was on display during Sunday’s event and now on permanent display at the Carondelet Historical Society museum. To learn more about this organization and their dedication to promoting the heritage of the Carondelet community, visit http://www.carondelethistory.org/home.html

Congratulations to Tim and Marcia Dorsey, and all the craftsmen who contributed their skills and talents to make the restoration possible — it’s truly amazing!