Discover the history of Ivy Terrace.

In February 1823, President James Monroe granted four sections of land, 2,560 acres, to the State of Missouri for the purpose of establishing a Seat of Government. These sections of land were divided into 1,008 in-lots and 114 out-lots with permission to sell 200 in-lots at public auction. Records indicate that in-lot #363, located at 500 E. Capitol Avenue (then Main Street), was first sold for $30.50 on October 1829 by Commissioner Archibald Kavanaugh. The first deed recorded for this lot was in August 1834, from Andrew M. and Jane R. Elston to William T. Hines for $80.50. The first sale of this in-lot was not recorded until five years later, as no deed had been issued.

In March 1835, the first mention of a house on this land noted in the records, listed for $175. The property was deed ed to six different owners from 1835 to April 1859, when it was deeded to Dr. William C. Bolton and wife, Sarah, by Allen and Fanny Richardson for $10,500. After Dr. Bolton died in November 1862, Sarah filed a partition of the estate for her heirs, which consisted of her children: Warwick, Sarah, and Caroline. The purchase included one or more buildings on the property, and it was later referred to as “mansion and buildings” in Sarah’s will. She lived there until her death in 1891. After Sarah’s death, the heirs sold the property in 1893 to Ed T. Orear, who sold it to the Honorable Lon V. Stephens and his wife, Margaret. Lon Stephens served as state treasurer until 1896, when he was elected Governor.

“There were eight fireplaces in the house, decorated with ornate wood mantels and Trent tiles.”
—Anna Knaebel

The Stephens demolished the Bolton home and employed a well-known architect of the era, Charles Opel, to design a two-and-a-half-story Queen Anne-style frame house, which was named Ivy Terrace. The front entrance of the home featured double doors with art glass panes and ornate interior woodwork.

The first floor had a parlor, dining room, library, kitchen, and porch. The second floor contained five bedrooms with wash sinks, as only one full bath was available. There were eight fireplaces in the house, decorated with ornate wood mantels and Trent tiles.

On the west side of the home, a porte-cochere permitted carriages to drive to the side porch, protecting guests from weather. A large turret on the northwest corner of the building provided a semicircle area in the library on the first floor and the main bedroom on the second floor. The third floor was one large ballroom with stucco walls where frequent parties were held. Guests included state officials, prominent residents, and relatives. Two weddings involving the Stephens family were also held there.

In 1903, the Stephens sold the property to G.A. Fischer, a Jefferson City druggist. The Fischer estate resold the property in 1948 to Mary E. Wood, and for the next 18 years, it was used as one of the original beauty schools in the area. Because of her age and poor health, she eventually sold the home. After being assured the interested party wanted to maintain the historic home, she sold it to Thomas and Dee Whitecotton. The deed was filed on July 12, 1966, and the next day, Mary passed away.

The couple remodeled Ivy Terrace, starting at the top; the ballroom was converted into a bedroom and bath suite. Next, an outside stairway was built to the second floor, with access to the inside staircase leading to the third floor, and the bedrooms were rented to legislators during the legislative session. An apartment was later added in the ground floor basement, with a family room added to the first floor over the apartment.

Clearing the landscape during the remodeling was a great undertaking, as vines had completely overgrown the semicircle art glass window. With the vines removed, bursts of color once again filtered into the home. As Mr. Whitecotton aged and could not climb stairs, the property was sold to Cary Augustine in April 1987 and again in 1991 to Barbara Buescher. When the tornado of 2019 hit Capitol Avenue, Ivy Terrace was still in Buescher’s possession.

Today, Ivy Terrace is being revived by Scott and Debbie Sacilowski, with the help of Debbie’s sister, Wendy Gladbach. They aspire to make it into a small event venue and the future home of Ana Marie’s Bridal Shop, giving new life to this beautiful grand dame.