West Wind House

Missouri Mansions Series

The West Wind House is set high on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River in Louisiana, Missouri. The unique house was designed by architect Beverley Nelson of St. Louis in 1939. In fact, the home was built where a rock quarry once operated. The structure is three stories high on the river side and two stories on the land side with views for miles.

“The home looks like a paddleboat on top of a rock quarry above the Mississippi.
The windows are curved, and where the kitchen is located is where the wheel for the paddleboat would be.”

Brian Sohn, of Re/Max Gold First

West Wind Specs

• 4,458 square feet
• Four Master Suites
• 10 Acres
• Tennis Courts

West Wind History

The history of the home dates back to 1939 for Dr. Eric Cunningham and his wife. According to a previous owner, Dr. Cunningham was the founder of the Pike County Memorial Hospital. Cunningham trained at Washington University, but had grown up in Centralia, so small towns were not a big deal for him. But the local legend has it that his wife, a St. Louis socialite, didn’t want to move 90 miles north to Louisiana. So he promised to build her a magnificent home on the bluffs to get her to the small town along the river.

Beverly T. Nelson was the architect and designer of the magnificent home. She was well-known around the St. Louis area for her designs, including the Deer Creek Club in Ladue and several other structures that have gained historic designation. She was previously the chief architect of the U.S. State Department after World War II prior to making her name in the private sector.

House On The River Bluff

Residence of Dr Eric A Cunningham at Louisiana Missouri —
Functional in Design and Built into a Rocky Bluff.
A house which is functional in the sense that its lines were determined not by a desire to conform to a type but by the particular living accommodations the owner wanted. The house built into the rock of a Mississippi River bluff was designed by architect Beverley Nelson of St Louis. The house was built on the site of an old quarry and commands a view of the river as well as wooded hills.

On the river side the house is three stories high, on the land side, two. The walls on the top story are wood, of the intermediate story, brick, and of the lowest story of which is below ground, rock. There are four master bedrooms. The house was completed in 1939.

St Louis Post Dispatch
June, 1940