Richmond Heights couple buys Woodside

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The historic Woodside residence, the oldest building in Maplewood, has a new owner, and is set to be restored over the next three years.

Maplewood City Council at its meeting on Tuesday authorized the sale of the house at Breddell and Folk avenues to Brendon D. Papineau and Elizabeth M. Papineau of Richmond Heights, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The city has owned the house for approximately 15 years. Members of the council cheered the result of the vote.

The Papineaus told the Post-Dispatch after the meeting that they intend to restore the house and move into it. He said they plan to restore the exterior in 12 to 18 months, and the inside in 36 months.

According to historian, Doug Houser, Charles Rannells purchased the property in 1848, and by the time the 1850 census was taken, he and his family were living there.

Houser once listed Woodside’s benefactors: the City of Maplewood and the City Council; St. Louis County historian, Esley Hamilton; the Department of Natural Resources Specialist in Historic Preservation, Kris Zapalac, who placed it on the National Registry of Historic Places; Marty Fischer, who contributed a new roof in 2005; and Maplewood attorney, Isaac Young, who made the single largest monetary contribution to the effort.

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21 COMMENTS

  1. …… has anyone thought of the bats and swallows, the family of raccoons, the giant hedgehog, the many birds and goodness knows what else that currently live there??? What’s going to happen to all of them??

    • You’re right! I think you should rescue them to live in your house. Those awful people! The nerve of them restoring the home that belongs to all those animals. Just awful!

      • You’re kidding right?? They are restoring history and you are upset about “animals” that live there? You have way too much time on your hands.

  2. Are you going to have an open house? I’ve always wanted to visit that amazing old house. It seems creepy on the outside but I bet the inside has a amazing story to tell.

  3. This is fantastic news! Thanks to all who have steadily advocated for Woodside’s preservation over the years.

  4. Happy to hear someone bought it, and are wanting to fix it up and move in….It’s a great old house….

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