The Chuck Berry House is the former home of American rock and roll musician

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

located at 3137 Whittier Street. The house was Berry's home when he wrote and first performed the majority of songs with which he is identified, including "

Maybellene "Maybellene" is a rock and roll song. It was written and recorded in 1955 by Chuck Berry, adapted in part from the Western swing fiddle tune " Ida Red". Berry's song told the story of a hot rod race and a broken romance, the lyrics describing ...

" (1955), "

Roll Over Beethoven "Roll Over Beethoven" is a 1956 hit song written by Chuck Berry, originally released on Chess Records single, with "Drifting Heart" as the B-side. The lyrics of the song mention rock and roll and the desire for rhythm and blues to replace classi ...

" (1956), "

Too Much Monkey Business "Too Much Monkey Business" is a song written and recorded by Chuck Berry, released by Chess Records in September 1956 as his fifth single. It was also released as the third track on his first solo LP, ''After School Session'', in May 1957; and a ...

" (1956), "

Rock and Roll Music Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

" (1957), " School Day" (1957), "

Sweet Little Sixteen "Sweet Little Sixteen" is a rock and roll song written and first recorded by Chuck Berry, who released it as a single in January 1958. His performance of it at that year's Newport Jazz Festival was included in the documentary film ''Jazz on a Summ ...

" (1958), and " Johnny B. Goode" (1958).

Design

Built in 1910, the house is located in the Greater Ville, an economically depressed neighborhood of north St. Louis. The house is vacant, but retains features and integrity dating to Berry's residence, including an awning with a letter "B" for Berry on the front porch. The house is located on a narrow lot and is closely built to other similar houses; the exterior is red brick except for a small concrete-block addition in the rear built by Berry in 1956. The addition was built both to accommodate his growing family and perhaps to allow greater space for musical practice sessions. The interior of the house includes its original floor plan, hardwood flooring, plaster walls, doors, and fixtures. The kitchen underwent a renovation in the late 1950s, while a metal front door and metal window

grille Grill or grille may refer to: Food * Barbecue grill, a device or surface used for cooking food, usually fuelled by gas or charcoal, or the part of a cooker that performs this function * Flattop grill, a cooking device often used in restaurants, ...

s were installed at a later date. The house otherwise retains its appearance from the time of Berry's residence.

Residency of Chuck Berry

Berry and his wife Thelmetta moved into the house in 1950 and lived in it for eight years. The house was Berry's home during the most critically acclaimed part of his career, and it represents the most significant site associated with Berry. In 2008, the Chuck Berry House was listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

, which was an uncommon listing due to the house's association with a living figure.

References

{{Chuck Berry, state=expanded Houses completed in 1910 Chuck Berry Houses in St. Louis Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri National Register of Historic Places in St. Louis