While I can’t entirely vouch for the information below, when it was written, or its lineage. I received it from the home’s long-time owner, the Morris family, at some point around 2017. We’re humbled and excited to be the home’s current stewards (2025) and intend to do everything possible to respect it and ensure its long-term survival.
“PROCTOR PLACE” Circa 1884
One of Sturgeon’s finest homes is now in the capable hands of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Morris, and it becomes clear once again that “restoration” is not just an abstract activity written in capital letters, but is basically care, love and study with ability.
In 1884, these qualities were also used by the Honorable James Milton Proctor to build an enduring home on his large tract of land called “Proctor Place”. He was later to become a state representative and state senator, and had six children, the last of whom was born just before the house was built. He was the father of the late Mrs. Edna Robinson, and the grandfather of Mrs. Ruth Esteppe, a long-time and much loved citizen of Sturgeon.
Land to the west was orchards, with fruit barreled and shipped to St. Louis, and the land to the east was a large area for the barn lot. All bricks for the home were made from clay dug from his land around what was called Gray’s Lake north of the house, and fired right on the grounds. It is estimated that over a million bricks were used.
The footings of the house are of brick-five rows of brick all around, in fact, making the footing about two feet and going deeper that has yet been reached by anyone. The outside walls are made of three rows of bricks, making them about 12 to 13 inches thick, and the inside walls are two bricks thick, making then about nine and one-half inches. There are five rooms downstairs and five the same size upstairs. Building a house of this type was like building five one-room houses side by side. After the foundation was built, Mr. Proctor let it set one year before building the rest of the house. The entire house still stands totally firm.
There are five separate chimneys, Serving each first floor room and the one above it.
Coke Burners with stove pipes passing through the ceiling and out the flues upstairs heated these upper rooms.
From floor to ceiling the rooms are ll feet, 4 inches high downstairs Walls are plastered. Previous owners, Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Beatty, removed wall paper and in places where the plaster was soft, Beatty either re-plastered or put on wallboard, For instance, from one-third of a downstairs room he took off plaster to the brick wall, adding one inch of new smooth plaster.
All pine woodwork was originally painted dark, extremely well-mitered, and has been repainted white throughout the first floor. Wallboard was put over all old ceilings. Two rooms upstairs had previously been re-plastered.
Floors are of pine, and were revarnished.
All hardware on all the 8-foot high doors and windows are of solid brass. The doors hinges and knobs are embossed. The raised design stands out clearly even on the upstairs transoms.
There were once three stairways; one had been taken out and another floored over, but the main stairway leading up from one side of the front door is still solid with walnut handrails and balustrades. A wide hallway leads from the front to the back of the house both upstairs and down.
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Morris purchased the home from the Beatty’s and have tastefully refurnished each room in lovely settings. Long-time residents of St. Louis, they enjoy the country life on the week-ends and summers. Their son, Ed Morris and his wife Nancy live West of Sturgeon on Route F. Their grandson, Josh attends Sturgeon High School, and is an asset to the Sturgeon Athletic club.
The Sturgeon Booster Club thanks Mr. and Mrs. Morris and their family for the hospitality in letting us feature their home in Sturgeon. The Proctor Place is and alway, has been a historic glory for a small town.