Eclectic Style
With the wide variety of Revival architectural styles of the Victorian period, it is not surprising that many houses exhibited a mixture of several styles. Since Victorian styles were less formal and rigid in their requirements than the earlier Federal or Greek Revival designs, many turn-of-the-century architects felt free to borrow individual elements from different styles to create their own particular designs. As in Victorian house design, architects in the twentieth century often combine elements of several current architectural styles. The house at 2950 Julian by Edward Nolte in 1906, exemplifies this trend. Recalling the earlier Italian Palazzo style, a central tower is flanked by projecting two-story wings. House and tower have low-pitched hipped roofs with wide overhangs. The house is an example of concrete block construction; an experiment in the use of modern material which failed to find a permanent place in St. Louis building design. (St. Louis, 1995)