German Vernacular House Types
Although St. Louis was founded by French fur traders, and eventually settled by large numbers of Americans moving west from the former English colonies, the great wave of German immigration in the middle 19th century had a substantial impact on the cultural life and the built environment of St. Louis. Whether coming directly from Germany, or from previous settlements in the eastern United States, the Germans of St. Louis constructed their new buildings using familiar forms and construction techniques they had known in Europe. Although they also built in brick, the most distinctive forms of German house construction during this period are represented by Fachwerk and Coursed Limestone houses. (St. Louis, 1995)