In the fall of 2022, an 1816 log house in Affton was taken apart piece by piece. Two years later, preservationists are preparing to reconstruct the historic building in its new home in the Historic Sappington Park in Crestwood.
The Joseph Sappington Log House is one of the oldest homes in the St. Louis area. But when the property’s owner took steps to clear the lot, local historians and residents campaigned to save the house. Led by the Sappington House Foundation, the effort led to a plan to move the entire house about 5 miles to Crestwood.
“The log house itself was remarkable in that, one, the condition because it’s been modified and lived in for the last 200-plus years,” said Mark Pratt, the owner of Antique Logs Unlimited who was tasked with taking apart the Joseph Sappington House. “The logs were in magnificent condition for the most part.”
The house is being rebuilt in Crestwood, next to the brick house built by Joseph Sappington’s cousin, Thomas, in 1808. The two are part of the series of “pioneer houses” across south St. Louis County constructed by the Sappington family.
“History means a lot, and if you tear down buildings or don’t fix them so they can stand, then we’re not learning. The next generation has no opportunity to see this,” explained Dyann Dierkes, president of the Sappington House Foundation and a descendant of Thomas Sappington.
Once opened to the public in 2026, the five-room log house will serve as a community center in addition to a historic site, hosting events including educational activities and concerts.
“I’ve always felt that a building needs to be serving the community, working for the community, so it becomes an integral part of a place to meet or a place to have an event, or a place to educate school children about how life was 200 years ago,” said Pratt. “When it becomes a working part of the community, then it just makes a better place for all of us to live.”
To learn more about how and why the Joseph Sappington Log House is making its move, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
Related Event
What: Joseph Sappington Log House groundbreaking
When: 2 p.m. Jan. 11
Where: 1015 S. Sappington Road, St. Louis, MO 63126
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Jada Jones is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
