The historic George Boardman Clark House in Cape Girardeau, Missouri is also referred to as the Kellerman House. Built in 1882, the house is 141 years old.
The architectural style is Queen Anne and it sits on a sandstone foundation. In about 1909, a one-story porch in front was replaced with a two-story porch. On July 22, 1994, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
This house is a Queen Anne-styled home with brick walls. The significance of the home is its architecture. The architect was Edwin Branch Deane who was an early designer in Cape Girardeau. His designs date back as far as 1839.
The house was built for George Boardman Clark. Remodeling was performed on the home between 1909 and 1937 which included updating the utilities.
Edwin Branch Deane
Deane was born in 1813 in Virginia. Before he came to Cape Girardeau in the late 1830s, he lived in Louisville, Kentucky. He was married and raised six children.
In 1846, Deane bought a lot that was east of where the Clark House would be built. He deeded part of the lot to his youngest daughter, Lula Deane Glenn as a wedding gift in 1882. Deane designed their home two years after designing the Clark House. Deane died in 1901.
Another house designed by Deane was the Reynolds House in Cape Girardeau. Built in 1857, it was also listed on the National Register in 1983.
George Boardman Clark
Clark came to Cape Girardeau in 1878. Before that, he was elected State Auditor in 1872, serving until 1874.
In 1877, Clark laid out the town of Maiden in Dunklin County. In the following year, he published the Courier newspaper in Cape Girardeau. In 1882, he was the vice president of the Cape Girardeau Building and Loan Association. After he had his house built, he sold it in 1891.
In 1895, a man by the name of William T. Wilson bought the house. He was a partner in a business called the Peironnet and Wilson Mercantile Company.
In 1909, the property was acquired by a lawyer named William H. Miller who represented the Cotton Belt Railroad and the Southern Illinois and Missouri Bridge Company. Miller was also a director of the Street Railroad Company in Cape Girardeau and president of the Southeast Missouri Trust Company. Lastly, he was a director of the Sturdivant Ban and president of the Cape Girardeau County Savings Bank in Jackson.
Miller added the two-story front porch to the Clark House. He also installed electricity and a hot water heating system as well as three bathrooms. After he died in 1914, a man named E. J. Deal rented the house. Deal also took over his position as president of the Cape Girardeau Savings and Loan Association.
In 1919, Miller's widow sold the house to one of the founders of the Cape Girardeau Telephone Company, John F. Vogelsanger.
In 1924, the Clark House was owned by H. H. Halleck who had interests in Texas oil. The house was his second home.
In 1928, Stanley D. McFarland bought the house. He was an executive with the International Shoe Company. They performed remodeling on the home. During the winter, they lived in their home in Pasadena, California. They added a new kitchen to the Clark House.
This property changed hands five times between 1942 and 1971. Before Bert and Mary Ann Kellerman purchased the home in 1971, the house was redecorated several times and it had experienced poor maintenance. The Kellermans are associated with the Kellerman Foundation For Historic Preservation. For images of the house, visit here.
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