The Wyeth-Tootle
Mansion Museum

St. Joseph is known for its quantity of beautiful mansions built around the turn of the century, and the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion at the corner of Eleventh and Charles Streets is a prime example.

William and Eliza Wyeth moved to St. Joseph in 1860, and William soon developed his small wholesale-retail business into the prosperous Wyeth Hardware and Manufacturing Company and Wyeth Saddle Factory. In 1879, the Wyeths hired architect E. J. Eckel to design this 43 room, Gothic style mansion with a panoramic view of the city and the Missouri River. A unique feature was the turret on the north side, which made the mansion resemble a castle. Over a million bricks were used in the construction. The front of the building was covered with native sandstone. The Wyeths decorated the interior with ornate parquet floors and walnut woodwork. The front part of the house, which has the sandstone exterior, was the family residence. The rear extension with the brick exterior housed the kitchen, pantries, and servants’ quarters. The first floor, with its large rooms which opened into a central hall, was used mainly for entertaining. The second floor contained bedroom suites, and the third floor served as servant workrooms and bedrooms. The tower contained an entrance on the north side of the house and a staircase to the first floor. The Wyeths lived in their castle-home for less than ten years. In the spring of 1887, they sold the home to Mrs. Kate Tootle.

Kate Tootle was the recent widow of Milton Tootle. Milton’s obituary identified him as “the builder of the prosperity of St. Joseph and the leader of its ‘Golden Age.' His business interests included mercantile establishments, the Western Bank of Missouri, and the Tootle Opera House. At his death, he had amassed the largest fortune of any individual in the city. Kate continued with many of his business interests. After purchasing the home, she hired the New York firm of Pottier and Stymus to redecorate the interior. The main hall featured a walnut paneled ceiling and an elaborately carved staircase. The parquet floors, in keeping with the style of the time, were almost entirely covered with area rugs and furniture. Two stained-glass windows were added on the stairway landings. One resembled a Renaissance-style painting, and the other is of beautifully cut, stained glass. The ceilings were covered with canvases of Austrian artists. Kate’s son, Milton Tootle Jr., was the next occupant of the house. He and his wife Lillian added a large porch to the south side and a family dining room on the southeast side. A 1932 newspaper article described Milton Tootle’s home: “The ceilings were painted in Europe, and the walls were lined with heavy draperies, nearly an inch thick, with elaborate handwork appliqués made of materials the manufacture of which has become a lost art. And charming objects of art on every side intrigue the imagination and aid in the creating of an esthetic atmosphere.”

The rooms on the first floor were the French Reception Room of black and gold woodwork, the Louis the XVI Sitting Room with angels painted on the ceiling, the Library, the formal Dining Room, the Moorish Room with its Middle Eastern decor, and the Early American Family Dining Room. At the rear of the first floor were the servants’ dining and food preparation room and a kitchen.

When Milton Tootle, Jr., died in 1946 the home became available for purchase. William Goetz, St. Joseph Museum board president, and the M. K. Goetz Brewing Company donated the money to purchase the building and the city matched the amount to adapt the private home into a public museum. After sixty years as a museum, the first floor of the building is being restored to its Victorian grandeur and furnishings are being added. Photographs of the home taken around 1900 are on exhibit. The second floor features a restored Victorian bedroom and exhibits portraying aspects of St. Joseph history including exhibits on the Civil War in St. Joseph and the life and death of Jesse James. The third floor contains exhibits on the natural history of the area.

Because of its age and historic nature, the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion has limited handicap accessibility.

The Mansion is available for special occasions and meetings and is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The Mansion is closed on major holidays.

For a rate sheet with information on renting the Mansion for an event, please call 816-232-8471.