Barbagallo House
Kimmswick, Jefferson County
The historic Barbagallo House is already enjoying its second life. Thought to be originally constructed in the 1850s, the house once stood at 9050 Green Park Road in St. Louis County. It was constructed on land belonging to John Peter Didier, a native of France who served as Missouri’s first State Treasurer. It is a one-story building on a raised basement foundation and is a significant example of French creole architecture in the region. In 1975 the house was donated to Lucianna Gladney-Ross by Barbagallo descendants. Mrs. Gladney-Ross was instrumental in the renaissance in the town of Kimmswick, having helped to finance the restoration of several historic homes and the dismantling and reassembly of some others in the town, including the Barbagallo House. After the death of Mrs. Gladney-Ross in 2012, the home was sold, and in the years since her death has been transferred to three other owners. During this time both the front and back porches to the house have been removed, and the building has fallen into severe disrepair. It is hoped that by listing here, that the current owner might seek to improve the conditions at the house or sell to a preservation-minded owner, and that the City of Kimmswick might adopt some sort of preservation ordinance aimed at protecting historic resources in this tiny tourist town.
