Moses Carter House (Grafted Wine Bar & Lounge)

The mansion at 310 E. Washington St. is one of the oldest surviving houses in Belleville and dates to around 1857. It was the home of Moses Carter, the wealthy first dentist in Belleville, until his death in 1910. The house was greatly enlarged around the late 1860s, when the Italianate style tower was built. The mansion was the home of banker Arthur Eidman by the 1920s. The building was converted into ten apartments in the 1940s by realtor John A. Johnson. Attorney Paul Storment purchased the building in the 1960s and revamped the interior into law offices. The present owners have created a wine bar in part of the mansion while retaining the historical details of the building.

Moses Ward Carter was born in New Hampshire in 1824. He was the son of Levi Carter; the family had been in America since arriving from England in 1635. Moses graduated from a dental college in Boston and practiced dentistry in Pomeroy, Ohio beginning in 1849. He moved to Belleville in 1852. He married Melissa Stookey, an Illinois native, in 1855. Dr. Carter was one of only two dentists in Belleville in 1863. He and Dr. J.J. Patrick each had their own dental offices; Dr. Carter's office was on the southeast corner of Main and High streets. By the early 1950s, there were twenty-five dentists practicing in Belleville.

Moses was very wealthy by 1870, when he owned $25,000 in real estate and $8,000 in personal property. The 46-year-old dentist shared his home in Belleville with his wife Melissa (age 33) and three children: Ida (17); Eliza (6); and Samuel (4); the children were born in Illinois. A woman named Elven Carter (24) also lived in the home; since she was born in New Hampshire. perhaps she was Moses' daughter from a prior marriage, or another relative. Two more residents in 1870 were Margarate Micker (20) and a laborer in the home named John Wels (18).

Moses still resided at 310 E. First St. (later renamed Washington St.) in 1891; his dental office was elsewhere in town, at 102 E. Main St. Another resident of the home in the 1891 city directory was Miss L.S. Carter. By 1900, Moses and Melisa (62) had been married 45 years and two of their three children were still alive. The 76-year-old Moses still worked as a dentist. The couple shared their First St. home with daughter L.E. Carter (31), a porter and German immigrant named John Eich (age unknown) and another German immigrant and servant, Freida S. Junck (19). In 1910, Moses and Melissa still resided at 310 E. First St.; his dental office was at 102-1/2 E. Main St. In May 1910, after an illness of two months, Moses died in Belleville of heart disease at age 85. The funeral was held at his First Street residence, and he was buried at Green Mount Cemetery. When he died, Dr. Carter was one of the oldest practicing dentists in southern Illinois. He was survived by his widow and one child, Mrs. A.B. Egloff of Bedford, Pennsylvania.

Arthur Eidman was a banker at the St. Clair National Bank of Belville, founded in 1919 with fellow bank officers William Reichert and Frank Gundlach. In a 1925 city directory, Eidman also served as President of the Board of Education; his home address was the former Carter house at 310 E. Washington St. His wife was named Artie Berry Eidman.

Grafted Wine Bar&Lounge. About, Grafted Wine Bar&Lounge. January 1st, 2022. Accessed November 28th, 2022. https://grafted.wine/about.

Heritage Auctions. Belleville, IL $10 1929 Type 2 The St. Clair NB Ch. #11478, Currency Auctions. July 28th, 2020. Accessed December 5th, 2022. https://currency.ha.com/itm/national-bank-notes/illinois/belleville-il-10-1929-ty-2-the-st-clair-nb-ch-11478-very-fine-extremely-fine/a/142030-84399.s.

Leshnick Directory Company. Polk's Belleville City Directory 1925. Peoria, IL. Leshnick Publishing Company, 1925.

McCoy Directory Co. McCoy's Belleville City Directory 1910-1911. Rockford, IL. McCoy Directory Co., 1910.

Nebelsick, Alvin Louis. A History of Belleville. Belleville, IL. Township High School and Junior College, 1951.

U.S. Census Bureau. Household of Moses Carter in Belleville, St. Clair County, Illinois, dwelling 826, family 1009. Washington, DC. U.S. Government, 1870.

U.S. Census Bureau. Household of M.W. Carter at 310 First St. in Belleville Ward 7, St. Clair County, Illinois, dwelling 20, family 22. Washington, DC. U.S. Government, 1900.

U.S. Central Publishing Co. Belleville City Directory, East St. Louis City Directory, and St. Clair County Gazetteer, 1891-1892. Milwaukee, WI. U.S. Central Publishing Co., 1891.

Wagner, Robert. NRHP Nomination of Belleville Historic District, St. Clair County, Illinois. National Register. Washington, DC. National Park Service, 1976.

Woelk, E. A. Obituary: Dr. Moses Ward Carter. The Dental Brief. July 1st, 1910. 563 - 563.