The Story

A surviving photograph believed to date to around 1892 shows a grand Victorian-era residence identified as the home of William F. Baumhoefer. The image, taken by photographer W. H. Kennedy, shows the Baumhoefer family gathered on the grounds in front of a multi-story home featuring a distinctive corner tower, wrap-around porch, and ornate Victorian woodwork — a style common among prosperous families of the era.

William F. Baumhoefer (1851–1918) was a house mover by trade, a critical profession in developing towns of the late 19th and early 20th centuries where buildings were frequently relocated rather than demolished. He and his wife Katherine Louisa (née Henschen, 1855–1920) raised at least seven children in Poplar Bluff.

A 1914 city directory lists the family's address as 144 South B Street, though it is unconfirmed whether the house pictured in the 1892 photograph was located at that specific address. The two-decade gap between the photograph and the directory entry leaves open the possibility that the family had moved or that the house itself had been relocated — fitting, perhaps, for a family in the house-moving business.

*(Update: Facebook community feedback has provided the actual address of 422 Lester Street, Poplar Bluff, MO for this home. We are grateful for their contributions to make this site more accurate. The home was still standing in 2020, but it has since burned.)

The fate of the home is unknown. It is presumed lost, as no structure matching its description survives at the referenced address today.

Modern Gallery Photograph provided by a Facebook Community member : Dilan Marion