John Orrick built the home at 701 North Third Street in St. Charles in 1833. Captain Orrick was in the mercantile business and piloted the packet Fayaway from here to St. Louis and back three times a week. This three story handmade brick home featured fireplaces in each of the 12 rooms and an ice cellar for food preservation. Orrick was elected state representative (1844-1846) on the Whig Party ticket.
The main floor has two parlors (formal and informal), a dining room, one bedroom, and a kitchen. The second floor has five bedrooms, and the top floor has two bedrooms. The stable and carriage house once located in the rear of the home have been dismantled.
This home was later to become the home of Welcome A. Robbins, oldest son of Major Moses B. Robbins of Revolutionary War fame. Major Robbins, a native of Volluntown, Connecticut, was buried in the “Graveyard Slough” in Black Walnut. He is one of 40 Revolutionary War soldiers to be buried in this area.
Welcome Robbins and his brother Frederick constructed the extravagant marble and stone Robbins Tomb at Oak Grove Cemetery in 1865. It measures 900-sq. ft. and contains five iron, alcohol-filled caskets with glass face window plates. This unusual Pioneer burial technique eliminated the need for embalming. Mourning family members could also visit the tomb and view the faces of their departed loved ones.
Dr. James Robert Mudd and his wife Mary Caroline (nee Boschert) and family lived in this home for 30 years. A small examining room and office were added to the front of the home. (If you drive by, note the front door glass etching with the Mudd Family name).
Dr. Mudd was elected mayor in 1901 and 1902 was responsible for the installation of the city water works. He was County Coroner for 12 years, in charge of the County Asylum for 21 years and a City Councilman for 12 years. Two of his children also became doctors.
(Information for this article is from McElhiney’s Guidebook to Historic St. Charles Missouri, Richard G. Sperandio, and editor with his permission)
