1849

Henry Haarstick arrived in St. Louis from Germany. He began building his fortune, by owning and later selling a distillery. Next, he bought the only barge line in St. Louis, and turned it into St. Louis & Mississippi Valley Transportation; the largest barge line in America.

1912

Henry Haarstick commissioned the building of two homes for his daughters. Emma Haarstick and her husband Clinton Whittemore resided in the home at 6420 Forsyth, presently known as Harbison House, the Chancellor’s Residence. Henry, his wife Elise, their other daughter Ida, and Ida’s husband Oscar Herf move into 6440 Forsyth, our Whittemore House. The homes were designed by James P. Jamieson, a Scottish architect, who also designed the Alumni House, formerly the home of Robert S. Brookings.

1928

When Ida and Oscar passed away, having no children of their own, they leave the house to the children of Emma and Clinton Whittemore. Henry H. Whittemore purchases the shares of his brothers and sisters and moves into the residence.
 

1966

Henry Whittemore’s widow donated the house to Washington University to be used for faculty conferences and dining. The University names it the “Whittemore House”.
 

1967

Remodeling began, with an addition of approximately 7,800 square feet for a dining room and a kitchen. Many of the furnishings and art work were donated by members and friends of the University

1969

The Whittemore House opened as a Faculty Conference Center on December 5, 1969. Since then, membership has grown to about 1,400. Meeting and dining rooms are available to members and their guests for breakfast, lunch and special events.

2013

The Whittemore House undergoes renovations to provide enhanced conferencing capabilities, as well as a more updated and modern look for its members.

2021

Stay tuned for more exciting updates to the house and its amenities over the next year!