(from a 1961 brochure)

Glasgow Homes Tour....A glimpse into the past.

Lewis Library Tour Headquarters

This library was provided for in the will of Benjamin W. Lewis, whose fortune was made in tobacco, to the extent of ten thousand dollars. The building, of Italian Renaissance architecture, was erected in 1866 at a cost of twenty-six thousand dollars through the benevolence of his widow, a son and a brother. This is the second oldest library in Missouri and the oldest building used exclusively for library purposes west of the Mississippi.

Glasgow Through the Years

The present town of Glasgow, the third site, was founded in 1836 by a group of fourteen proprietors and named for one, James Glasgow. It became a prosperous shipping and trading center for the whole area, and as a result a city of wealth whose old homes, to a great extent, reflect this prosperity, being large, well built and commodious. Outnumbering all others, were settlers from Virginia and Kentucky. Almost all of the early inhabitants, of any means at all, were slave-holders. The chief product of the region was tobacco.

Although no longer possessing any institution of higher learning, Glasgow has had these colleges: Glasgow Female Seminary, founded in 1848, whose buildings still occupy the hill in the block just south of Lewis Library;  Lewis College, 1867, first met in the library and later in the afore-mentioned buildings;  Monticello, which was north of town;  and Pritchett College, which opened in 1866 and was located where the Glasgow High School now stands.

Prior to the Civil War, three churches were established. They were the Methodist, the Presbyterian and the Baptist, whose congregation sold their church to the Presbyterians in 1866 and, for a few years, worshiped at Chariton Church north of town.

During the war, the town experienced much upheaval both from organized forces of the North and South and from the guerillas, particularly Bill Anderson. The Battle of Glasgow has left its marks even today in many of the older structures which were in line with the rifle pits and in the path of cannon fire.

On this Sunday of our 125th anniversary, you are invited to visit five of our old homes and numerous public buildings, which we hope you will enjoy seeing as much as we enjoy maintaining. We are proud of our past.

Home of Mrs. Will Denny

The home of Mrs. Will Denny is of typical Victorian style of the period. It was built by George Phipps. This house passed to several owners until it was bought by Mrs. Denny in 1938. It is beautifully furnished...a blending of the old and the new. Particularly interesting are the iron grill work entrance and the ceiling medallions

"Dunhaven"

"Dunhaven" was completed in 1837 by William F. Dunnica, a banker, for his bride, Martha. Not only the front walls, but those twenty feet beyond are full of plugs where shot peppered them during the Battle of Glasgow. The Birch home since 1930, it is now owned and occupied by Anna Mae Birch, and is furnished predominately in antiques, many of them being family pieces. The original gold leaf cornices are at the windows.

"Boscobel"

"Boscobel", erected in 1859 by Thomas Shackelford, an attorney, has been in possession of his descendents through the years. It was purchased in 1955 by Jack H. Denny, a grandson, who, with his family, lives in the home. Hanging lamps are used throughout the house and it contains an attractive curved staircase. It is completely furnished in antiques of the period, many of which are family possessions.

"Riverview"

"Riverview", the home of the Clay Bentley family was purchased by Mrs. Bentley's parents in 1912. It was built in 1856 by Thomas E. Birch, a banker, and is the only home on the tour facing the river. Originally the yard, in a portion of which was a formal garden, rolled gently to the river where there was a private wharf. Here too, the old gold leaf cornices are at the parlor windows and the marbleized woodwork is the original.

"Turner Estate Farms"

"Turner Estate Farms" has housed six generations, the land having been acquired through land grants from the time of Pres. John Q. Adams. During the battle of Glasgow, Confederate troops fired from the hill to the north of the house. The home, built in 1828 by Talton Turner, a government surveyor and land owner, for his bride, Sallie, is a nine room frame structure. Much of the furniture in the home was purchased in Philadelphia and sent by boat to Glasgow. The property now belongs to two great grandsons, Prewitt Bates Turner and Thomas Jackson Turner.

General Information - Donation $2.00

Proceeds from this tour to be distributed among the Churches, Kuemmel Park and Lewis Library Museum.

Tour Headquarters, Lewis Library. Tickets and information may be obtained here or at the various homes.

Two homes as well as the churches are within walking distance of the library. For those who do not wish to drive a car, busses will be available at the library at a nominal fee for the other three homes, which are at a distance.

Lunch will be served on Sunday at three restaurants.

Rest rooms in City Hall and at the Park.

Open to the Public Free of Charge

Lewis Library - 1866

Methodist Church - First official meeting, December 28, 1844. Present building erected 1848-49

Presbyterian Church - Organized 1845. Present building erected by Baptists 1861, sold to Presbyterians in 1866. Stained glass window showing Christ at Gethsemane.

Baptist Church - First meeting held in 1820. Present church, 1872.

Evangelical United Brethren Church - Date of organization, 1867. North half of building, 1872, south half, 1907. Contains painting of Christ by Miss Cornelia Kuemmel, local artist of note.

Catholic Church - Organized 1864. First building, 1871. Present building, 1912-13. Largest congregation and church building in town.