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 alter's younger brother,
Ralph,
married the daughter of a prominent family in Edwardsville, Illinois.
Ralph and his new bride took up residence with her family in
a spacious Queen Anne Victorian on Saint Louis Street. It soon
became necessary for Ralph to consider building a new
home for his family and a lot was acquired across the street
from his in-laws. He hired Walter to design the house
and the grounds.
 ustin Griffin, Ralph's
son, remembers visiting the construction site of his family home
as a child. He lost a toy hammer under the porch, but the workers
fished it out for him. When the hammer was lost again, the workers
left it to be covered in concrete.
alter played off
his use of split levels in the Emery House in his design for
his brother. The living room is at the
level of the entry way. But it is half a flight down to the billiard
room, and half a flight up to the library. The library features
a unique corner fireplace. Off of the
library is a screened-in porch. The dining
room is located at the other end of the house, also on this
level. The winding staircase and the frequent change in levels
creates the feeling that you're inside a seashell.
 he entire house,
inside and out, is symmetrical. Windows and doors match each other across
the room. The windows of the living room are decorated with wooden mullions in geometric patterns.
The kitchen has been recently remodeled.
The built-in china hutch reflects the
pattern in the living
room windows. The look of wood cabinets is complimented by a
fireplace next to the kitchen table.
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