4 Dromara Road

Originally from Connecticut, the current homeowners have lived in almost every major city in the U.S. They arrived in St. Louis in 2007 and were pleasantly surprised with the favorable real estate prices. After months of looking at homes that needed too many renovations, they bought the two-story house on Dromara Road the day it hit the market.

“I thought St. Louis would be really flat, but it’s not in this area,” the homeowner says. “Ladue is like a little oasis. It reminded me of growing up in Connecticut, the rolling hills and older homes with a lot of history.” She explains that they had always purchased new construction, so buying a nearly 80-year-old house was different for them. “There is a lot to maintain and upgrade with older homes,” she says. “We redid the floors, painted everywhere, renovated the bathrooms and switched out the overgrown landscaping.”

The Stude and Farrar-designed home on nearly 2 acres was built in the late 1930s by the Edison family, whose son Julian contacted the couple after they moved in. “He still lives in Ladue and asked to come by,” she recalls. “His sister found 12 plates with a picture of the house painted on them that he gave to me. He also told me his parents had toured Thomas Jefferson’s home and loved how the windows were set in the house, so they incorporated the same style on this house.” Another notable local family, the Newmans, also once resided in the home. “We’ve had a lot of past residents visit, and everyone loved that we had made the house grand again,” she says.

She points out that the house is great for entertaining, especially with the pool and patio in the backyard. “My favorite area is the living room,” she says. “It’s just beautiful and serene—it was very easy and comfortable to entertain there.” Now that the couple’s children are out of the house and they are moving to Dallas for her husband’s job, it’s time to let another family add to the home’s history. “I own several properties around the country and when I got back to St. Louis, I always just loved being in my home here,” she says.

listing price | $2,395,000
listing agent | kathy crane of laura mccarthy realtors

Photos: Steven B. Smith Photography