Mudd's Grove

Constructed in 1859-1860, this Greek Revival home got its name, "Mudd's Grove," from one of its first residents, Sarah Elizabeth and Henry T. Mudd. The couple lived in the home from 1865 to 1882, and they had seven children. Henry Mudd worked as a farmer but also served as county auditor, member of the Town Board of Kirkwood, curator of the University of Missouri, and in the Missouri State Legislature where he helped frame the state Constitution.

Henry Mudd moved to Missouri in 1819 from Maysville, Kentucky, at age one. In 1833, after his father's death, the family moved across the river to the Illinois side (Pike County), where the young Henry eventually purchased a farm and, from 1843 - 1847, served as Clerk of the County Council. However, he had little money when he moved to Kirkwood in 1859. When Mudd acquired the property and home sometime in the early 1860s, it is likely that the home's builder, John Hoffman, helped finance the house for him. 

The historic building gets its name from the Mudd family, but the home's builder, John Hoffman, also played a role in Kirkwood's early history. Hoffman purchased and sold numerous properties in and around Kirkwood during its early years (the town's establishment occurred in 1853). He sold one tract to the School District for their first schoolhouse, and Hoffman also helped found a private girls' school known as Kirkwood Seminary.

In Kirkwood, Mudd's financial situation changed after he got involved in the land trading business, eventually becoming president of the Ozark Land Company; he owned land in Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, and Texas counties at the time of his death. As his financial situation matured, he gained a better social standing, which allowed him to work in several public offices. From 1859 to 1865, he served as auditor of St. Louis County, and then as trustee of the town of Kirkwood from its chartering in 1865 to 1868, as a member of the board of the Kirkwood School District from 1865 (its founding) to 1872 and 1878 to 1882. He was also president of the county Board of Assessors in 1870 and served as a Missouri state legislator twice, from 1872 to 1874 and again in 1879. As a state legislator, he played a pivotal role in protecting fish and game, an early example of conservation. 

In 1875 Mudd was a delegate to the state Constitutional Convention. He was the first to advocate the separation of the city of St. Louis from its county, which became part of Missouri's constitution. Officials appointed Mudd as one of the thirteen Freeholders charged with devising a separation plan. As a result, St. Louis became the nation's first independent city, a status debated as a positive or a negative for years. In addition to protecting fish and game as a legislator, Mudd served as president of the state agricultural board and president of the State Horticultural Society from 1859 to 1868, keeping it afloat during the Civil War. Mudd, an active Mason, also organized the Kirkwood Masonic Lodge in 1873 and was the state university curator.

Early in 1882, the year before his wife died, Mudd sold his now-historic Kirkwood home and moved back to St. Louis. Two of his children, Dr. Henry Hodgen Mudd (1844-1899) and Dr. Harver Gilmer Mudd (1857-1933) became renowned surgeons associated with St. Louis Medical College. Meanwhile, Seeley Wintersmith Mudd (1861-1926), a mining engineer, grew wealthy by advising on the mining of copper and sulfur in Leadville, Colorado, and Los Angeles. Seely's son, Dr. Seely G. Mudd, who lived in New York, became a nationally known benefactor of colleges and universities. 

"About Mudd's Grove." Kirkwood Historical Society. Accessed May 12, 2023. https://kirkwoodhistoricalsociety.com/rent-mudds-grove/. 

Kemper, John G. "Nomination Form: Mudd's Grove." National Register of Historic Places. mostateparks.com. 1983. https://mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/Mudd%27s%20Grove.pdf.

Stockman, Linda; Peon K. Wolfenbarqer; and Debbie Sheals. "Multiple Property Documentation Form: Historic Resources of Kirkwood, Missouri." National Register of Historic Places. mostateparks.com. 2002. https://www.mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/HistoricResources-Kirkwood.pdf.