Louis Auguste Benoist House (The Oakland House Museum)

Designed by St. Louis architect George Ingham Barnett and built from 1850 to 1851, this two-story Italianate-style house includes a unique four-story watch tower and was built for layer and banker Louis Auguste Benoist. Benoist lived from 1803 to 1867 and built this home towards the final years of his life which was on the high point of his land which spanned more than 475 acres and he named Oakland Farms. Architect George Barnett also designed the historic Tower Grove House (1849) for Henry Shaw, Missouri Botanical Garden founder, and the Governor's Mansion in Jefferson City. The house now operates as the Oakland House Museum and serves as the home to the Affton Historical Society. It's also a popular spot for weddings and events.

Benoist, of French descent and the son of a successful Canadian trader, was born in St. Louis when it existed as part of French Louisiana (before the "Louisiana Purchase."). He spent his early adult years studying medicine before choosing to practice law. However, after taking a trip to Franch to settle his grandfather's inheritance, Benoist (after surviving a shipwreck north of Spain) returned to the U.S. and decided to forgo his legal practice and delve into financial matters, notably brokering and real estate. Benoist built a thriving banking business in the 1830s that operated in St. Louis and New Orleans, even surviving the financial difficulties tied to the Panic of 1837, the Panic of 1857, and the U.S. Civil War. While traveling through Cuba in 1867, Benoist contracted cholera and died. He left an estate that exceeded $5 million, if not more (valued at more than $100 million in the 2020s.) 

Between 1850 and 1867, Benoist acquired land in several stages, which he intended to use as a working farm and summer home to enjoy with family and friends. In 1853, Benoist commissioned George Ingrahm Barnett to build an estate on the land for himself and his third wife, Sarah Elizabeth (they married in 1849). Benoist became acquainted with Barnett after he designed the Tower Grove home four years earlier for entrepreneur and Missouri Botanical Garden founder Henry Shaw, a close friend of Benoist. Barnett's reputation and social standing allowed him to work closely with many prominent (wealthy) members of St. Louis' bourgeois society. Indeed, During Barnett's career, he designed numerous lavish homes and the Governor's Mansion in Jefferson City. The Oakland House exterior consisted of white limestone quarried on the property, a luxurious interior, a fireplace in every room, and a prominent watch tower feature. The grounds included gardens, orchards, stables, bars, a four-acre lake, a boat house, and a smokehouse; Henry Shaw designed the landscaping. The house sat on the high point of Benoist's property, which eventually spanned 476.43 acres. The abundance of Burr Oak Trees and rolling land on the property led Benoist to name his land "Oakland Farms." The landmark home now operates as the Oakland House Museum.

Coombs, C.J. "Explore 170 Years of history at the Oakland House Museum, formerly the Louis Auguste Benoist House." Newsbreak. newsbreak.org. May 6, 2023. https://original.newsbreak.com/@cj-coombs-1589302/3016609165102-explore-170-years-of-history-at-the-oakland-house-museum-formerly-the-louis-auguste-benoist-house.

Fagyal, Viki. "Louis Benoist." St. Louis Genealogical Society. October 1, 2019. https://stlgs.org/research-2/community/st-louis-biographies/louis-auguste-benoist.

Holmes, Patricia M. "louis Auguste Benoist House." National Register of Historic Places. mostateparks.com. 1969. https://mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/Benoist%2C%20Louis%20Auguste%2C%20House.pdf.

The Oakland House Museum. Last Updated 2022. https://oaklandhousemuseum.org/.