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            This house is located between new and old Highway 8 about 1 mile west of Flat River.  Coming south on Highway 67 from St. Louis, exit at Desloge, follow Business 67 through Desloge to the boundary line between Flat River and Desloge – make a right turn on Hwy 8 west about 1 mile.

              It is told that slaves built the limestone (3 story) house in or about 1832.   Some of the stones in the structure are so huge one wonders how they were ever lifted into place.  Huge logs out from trees along Big River were laid horizontally under the building to support it.  There is a basement.   It is two and one-half stories high.  A fireplace made from limestone is at each end.  The walls are so thick that the fireplaces are flush with the inside wall.  The window seats are 15” – 16” deep and the original glass was still in the windows in 1948.   The ceiling was open with huge rafters of cedar exposed.  A sheet iron roof probably replaced cedar shake roof. 

            The present owners have built a section on the back and probably made other changes inside.  During the Civil War it was supposedly used as a fort by the Confederate soldiers.  The infamous Sam Hildebrand spoke of the house in his writings.  His friend Major Dick Berryman lived there in September of 1864. 

            The house is privately owned by the Kenneth Yow family.

EARLY PHOTO OF BERRYMAN HOUSE

BERRYMAN HOUSE 2003

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