The home at 631 Hall Street was built by Colonel Adam N. Schuster in 1883 for his
daughter, Mrs. James W. Hingston. This home adjoined his own property at 703
Hall. E.J. Eckel was probably the architect. Business failures caused Col.
Schuster to dispose of part of his St. Joseph holdings and in 1890 this home
was purchased by James H. Robison. Mr. Robison was president of Robison Heavy
Hardware Co. and vice-president of the Merchants Bank.
The James H. Robinson House, 631 Hall, a Chateauesque
style house built in 1883 by Adam Schuster for his daughter,
changed hands several times before finally selling for $15,000 in 1904.
This residence has a high pitched roof with dormers that are topped by
triangular pediments. On the west facade there is a bow window with
curved glass on the first story, and an open porch above, topped by a
conical roof which ends in a highly decorative finial. Most windows are
divided by a transom bar with stained glass transoms
Other exterior features of note include the extensive use of decorative
glass work, curved glass windows, the ornamental banding at each story,
the use of many floral and figurative panels and inserts, the elaborately
carved hoodmolds at all openings, and the heavily modeled cornice of
stylized classical motifs.
The porch on the main facade has paired,
polished, pink granite columns with Corinthian capitals. Contrasting
to the smooth precise quality of the wall covering, the applied dec
oration exhibits a combination of rich forms. The belt course includes
vermiculated stone work, smooth rectangular panels, and scrolls cut into
the smooth stone at the chimney wings. The first story window hoods repeat this
scroll pattern as well as cut rosettes which have an Eastlake
quality. These hoods are capped by large engaged finials which extend
into the belt course. Dentils are cut into the stone rather than applied
to it. In the second story windows both the rosettes and dentils again
appear, however, the cap which does not support a finial, is ornatley
carved.
The projecting chimneys add more surface decoration with the use
of cut panels, floral panels, scrolls, and grotesque mascarons. At the
arched openings the dentil band follows the semi-circular line of the
arch, and the radiating voussoirs are well defined
All architectural features are richly embellished as is characteristic of
the style: i.e. chimney stacks are heavily carved and ornamented, and
terminate in elaborately corbelled and panelled caps. The southeast
corner of the building is accented by a small, round turret. Its rich
surface texture is created through combining smooth wall surfaces;
arched niches filled with vermiculated stonework; and belt courses of
exaggerated vermiculation, rosettes, or a nail head motif. The stylized
cornice of the main structure follows around the top of the turret,
which is capped by a gored onion dome and a large finial which repeats
the denticulated band and the bulbous form of the dome
To the rear of the residence is a large brick carriage house which
is three bays wide. Each doorway is topped with a straight-sided segmental
arch of raised brick and is fitted with a wooden and glass over
head garage door. The outside corners of the building, including
those of the slightly projecting center bay, have raised brick quions.
Several non-conforming structures are also on the property. They
include the open carport attached to the carriage house, a structure
to the west and north of the carriage house, and a rectangular structure
at the far north end of the property.
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