Overlooking the Missouri River in the northern part of Florissant is Harris Armstrong’s 1940 design for Dr. Evarts Graham.

Dr. Graham (1883-1957) was professor of surgery at Wash. U. and surgeon in chief of Barnes Hospital. After his retirement, he did important research on the link between smoking and lung cancer. His wife, Dr. Helen Graham, was assistant professor of pharmacology at Wash. U. She remained in the house until 1968.

In 1935, Haris Armstrong built a home in Glendale for Nobel Prize winners Gerty and Carl Cori (below) who also worked for Wash. U. Medical School. Perhaps that was how Armstrong met the Dr. Grahams and earned this commission.

The Evarts Graham House, with its striking stone wall, was completed in 1942 and includes 5 bedrooms, 5+ baths, 3576 sf and a newer pool. See more photos of the house at Andrew Raimist’s flickr site. Learn more about Harris Armstrong on Andy’s blog, Architectural Ruminations.

If you’d like to do a drive by, the address of the Evarts Graham House is 18 Jamestown Acres in Florissant. On your way back from visiting the house, be sure to stop at nearby Sioux Passage, a St. Louis County Park. If you keep driving to the very end of the park road, you will gain Missouri river access and a beautiful view of Pelican Island. Hopefully you’ll get to see some pelicans.