The Heart of the Castle

​Coeur de la Chateau The Heart of the Castle
It’s impossible to pick a favorite house in Rocheport. The hill which saved this
town from persistent floods has become the mountaintop for seekers of late
colonial Missouri architecture. The Wilcox house, George Gregory House, the
Miriam Green building... 36 structures here are included in the Missouri
Register of Historic Places. But a house is just a house. Without the diligence
of caring stewards, even Rocheport’s hill couldn’t have saved this collection of
buildings from the winds and waves of change. These stewards are the heart of
each castle, therefore it’s also impossible to pick a favorite steward in
Rocheport. Each of us who live here share 1/239th of the responsibility to keep
the weeds and the wolves (developers) at bay.

So I won’t say I have a favorite structure or steward, but shining examples of
both can be found in the Crump-Price-Haines house. This Gothic Revival, ca.
late 1830s, is a true survivor, replete with original scrollwork inside and out. It
is a uniquely folk expression of the style, and one of very few midland wooden
Gothic survivors at all. The house was built to shelter a booming family in a
booming town. The occasional utilization of wood from abundant river trees
and native oaks nearby speaks to the urgency of materials needs. There was no
time to wait for “commercial” lumber ferried slowly up the river or down the
nearby creek. The house’s moving parts are a mixture of pre-made and black-
smithery hardware. The original paneled doors swell and shrink perfectly and
predictably with the seasons. The windows are oversized (still a bit of a luxury
in the 1830s) and balcony reminds us Missouri was still
very much French territory (though not on paper) at the time of this house’s
completion. The house was recently featured in Missouri Life magazine, and
even more information about the house can be found at the Rocheport Museum
which is at the corner of the Katy Trail and Moniteau street.

The current stewards of the Crump house are Karen Short and Patrick Stout.
Patrick is an accomplished songwriter and performer, bird-caller and computer
whiz. Karen is an interior designer, art league director and aspiring player in
the “Junque” game (slang, sing. n. old fr. antiques). Both Karen and Patrick
are expert visual artists, gardeners, naturalists and cooks. They are the heart of
this castle and have been carefully planting and pruning, procuring wall
hangings and furniture interior and exterior to create a seamless overlay of then
and now. Though they have only been in the Crump House for one year, they
have been Rocheporters for over 3 years. Perhaps the houses brought them
here, their first residence was the painfully beautiful M.E. Parsonage, but the
town has bid them stay, and the Friends of Rocheport are proud to have them.
In their own words:

"I live in Rocheport for the same reason that many other people do. I feel
completely detached from the over-arching cultural narrative of consumer-
driven, suburban isolationism. I lived in Columbia for many years and began to
see its slow augmentation into small pockets of wealthy, gentrified, suburban
neighborhoods and ragged swaths of low-income student housing and duplex
slums. I think it’s strange that people come to our town to see “what a real
village looks like”. It is indicative of the inner hunger which people are feeling
for a truly connected life, not just sponsored community activities and
commoditized cultural exposure, but real, forged relationships between
neighbors and a shared vision for the future of their community which reflects
a set of common values. That’s what I see in Rocheport. I see friends and
constancy."
-Patrick Stout

“Why do I live in Rocheport? Because it’s an authentic life. It’s beautiful, but
not perfect. My relationships with my neighbors are genuine. Kids are free
range, as are the chickens. Life is looser here and more laid back. It's not sterile
or over managed, but there is care, pride, and love for these rambling, rickety
old houses, for the river, with its wide waters, soft sands and staggering bluffs,
for the old oaks and catalpa trees, and for the bonfires and back porches of
good friends and neighbors. We make room for personality, and I think that's
what sets us apart. You find all sorts here, and yet, there is a common
understanding that we treasure our little town, not despite all its quirks and
kooks, but because of them.”
-Karen Short

If you see Karen or Patrick out digging flowers, say hello! If you’re out on a
weekend stroll, why not swing by the Museum for more stories about more
hearts and more castles. Next time, we’ll talk to the owner of another
Historic Rocheport home. Until then au revoir, Rocheporters.
​
-G. Charles Kinkeade
Rocheport, Mo.