At 903 S Main St, Saint Charles, Missouri, 63301 there is the Tiercerot- Krekel house, this two-and one half story home was built, circa 1814-1830 by a French merchant named Gregorie Kircereau who was a nephew of St. Charles’ second Commandant Carlos Tayon. The beautiful brick building is stucco covered, and still retains its beautiful stone lintels.
During the Civil War the German born Provost Marshall Arnold Krekel , a Union Army Lt. Colonel used it as his headquarters. It was located across the street from the town’s Mill, which was also used as a Union hospital and a Confederate Prison, and where soldiers kept watch on the riverfront. We’ll save more of that story for another day. The third floor’s “Crow’s Nest” similiar to the crow’s nest of a ship was used by Krekel as a lookout. Missouri was under Martial Law during the Civil War.
Directly to the rear of this building there is a brick building that served as the kitchen and contains a built in stove with a large open oven. Between Kircereau’s home and his Uncle Tayon’s brick house (see yesterday https://stcharlescountyhistory.org/2025/06/27/the-commandant-and-his-church/) which was directly to the west, was a building that was said to be used by their enslaved.
Prior to 1851, the Boone’s Lick Road started westward, on the north side of the property. When the Plank Road system began, the orientation of the road began on the south side like it does today. Today, you can visit Magpie’s Cafe and enjoy history up close! https://www.magpiesonmain.com/
Sources: Preservation Journal by Holly Haddox, Historical Saint Charles Missouri by Edna McElhiney Olson 1967, Boone’s Lick Road by Dan A. Rothwell. Also: Historic Main Street Story Map
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ST. CHARLES COUNTY HISTORY 
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